Posted on 05/07/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
Israeli officials have claimed that the Biden administration knew about the changes made to the ceasefire-prisoner swap deal offered by Egypt and Qatar to Hamas, but failed to inform Israel of the changes before Hamas announced that it had "accepted" a ceasefire, journalist Barak Ravid wrote on Axios.
Ravid quoted a senior US official as denying the reports, claiming, "American diplomats have been engaged with Israeli counterparts. There have been no surprises." He also described the process as "extremely difficult."
According to the official, the US believes that Israel has been negotiating in good faith, and that the April offer was "the most forward leaning proposal to date. To secure a ceasefire, Hamas simply needs to release hostages. It's all mapped out."
The Biden administration also sees Hamas' "agreement" to the ceasefire as a counteroffer, not a new proposal, he added.
According to Ravid, "The episode has created deep disappointment and suspicion among senior Israeli officials regarding the US role in the hostage deal talks and could negatively influence the negotiations going forward."
A report corroborated by the New York Times said that CIA director William Burns was a party to the offer proposed by Egypt and Qatar, but not approved by Israel. It was this offer which Hamas eventually accepted.
Axios reported that, "The CIA declined to comment."