From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 10, 2024
Report: US considering deal with Hamas, without Israel, to free 5 American hostages
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The Biden administration is considering entering into a deal with Hamas that does not include Israel, according to a report by NBC News.
Citing two current senior and two former US officials, NBC said the deal to free the five American hostages would be hammered out through Qatari mediation if the current effort to reach a comprehensive agreement fails.
Israel would not be part of the negotiations.
The officials did not know what the US could offer Hamas in return, but argued there was an incentive for Hamas to drive a deeper wedge between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There is also a sense that a potential deal between the US and Hamas could pressure Netanyahu to agree to a broader deal.
The US citizens held in Gaza are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel.
