From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Biden says he expects Iran to hold off on Israel retaliation if hostage deal reached
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Asked by reporters if he expects Iran to hold off on carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel if a ceasefire and hostage-release deal is reached, US President Joe Biden responds, “That’s my expectation.”
Iran has vowed to retaliate for the May 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran but has yet to do so, leaving Israel on edge for two weeks.
The US, Egypt and Qatar are convening a summit aimed at finalizing a hostage deal on Thursday. Hamas has thus far indicated that it will not attend.
Israel has agreed to send a delegation, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing fire for adding new demands critics say are aimed at thwarting a deal. The premier insists his latest proposal merely contained clarifications, rather than any new demands.
Asked if the chances for a ceasefire deal are waning, Biden acknowledges, “It’s getting harder,” but then asserts, “I’m not giving up.”
“We’ll see what Iran does. We’ll see what happens,” he adds.
