US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, now that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a truce in Lebanon, his national security adviser said.
The truce that began before dawn Wednesday in the south Lebanon war means Iran-backed Hezbollah is no longer fighting in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. That will increase pressure on the fighter Palestinian group to agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal, Jake Suillivan told MSNBC.
Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the US- and French-brokered truce with Hezbollah was announced Tuesday and they agreed to try again for a Gaza agreement that has eluded negotiators for months, Sullivan said.
"President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region," Sullivan said.
"We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel's security is assured and US interests are secured,” he added.
The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a rare boost for Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20.
As he announced the agreement Tuesday, Biden said the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Israel would make another push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still at war with Hamas following the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 resistance campaign on Israel.
Biden said Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Qatar hopes for truce
Meanwhile, Qatar on Wednesday said it hoped Israel and Hezbollah's ceasefire would lead to a truce in Gaza, as fellow Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also welcomed the deal.
Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire could serve as a "model" for Gaza after months of fruitless negotiations to end the devastating war.
"The State of Qatar welcomes the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and hopes it will serve as a model for a similar agreement to end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip," Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Qatar believes this agreement will pave the way for a broader consensus that ensures lasting peace and stability in the region," the foreign ministry said.
This month it put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness."
