Updated Israeli operations to squeeze Hamas in Rafah could help restore hostage talks — US official

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

A rocket launcher after it was destroyed by troops in southern Gaza's Rafah, in a handout image published May 16, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
A rocket launcher after it was destroyed by troops in southern Gaza's Rafah, in a handout image published May 16, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israel’s tailored operations in Rafah and the military pressure that the IDF has been exerting on Hamas in the southern Gaza city might lead to “some opportunities for getting the hostage deal back on track,” a senior Biden administration official says in a briefing with reporters.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly maintained that military pressure, particularly in Hamas’s last main stronghold of Rafah, is essential in coaxing Hamas to agree to a hostage deal. The US has not refuted that stance outright but has said that a major military operation in Rafah would actually embolden Hamas in the hostage talks.

Israel has taken some of its recommendations regarding Rafah planning into account, the US official says, indicating that this is what allowed Israel to potentially improve its standing in the negotiations, rather than harm the effort.

Breaking the current impasse in the hostage negotiations was a topic of conversation that came up in every one of US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel over the weekend, the official says.

“We think we might have some openings to do that. We have a decent plan,” the official adds, without elaborating.

The senior Biden official notes that much of Washington’s broader regional agenda hinges on first securing a hostage deal that would produce an initial weeks-long pause in the fighting that the US aims to turn into something more enduring.

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