Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas could be taking shape. The leader is in Washington, D.C., to address the U.S. Congress.
Netanyahu hopes to bolster U.S. support for continuing Israel’s fight against the terrorist group Hamas. But the Biden administration urges him to focus on ending the nine-month war in Gaza.
Netanyahu received a warm welcome from Republican lawmakers. They arranged for his speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. The appearance makes Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times.
However, many Democrats and independents planned to boycott his speech. The most notable absence is Vice President Kamala Harris. The U.S. Vice President presides over the House and traditionally sits behind the person speaking. Harris says a long-scheduled trip kept her away.
Republicans claim the absence of Harris—the new Democratic front-runner for president—shows disloyalty to a long-time ally.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, is also a no-show. He is on the campaign trail.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in Gaza. The Israeli military ordered civilians to leave part of a humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip on Monday. Officials claim Hamas fighters launch rockets toward Israel from there. The military planned a strike against those militants.
Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah met in China this weekend. On Tuesday, they announced an agreement to form a unity government and end their 37-year rift. However, similar previous agreements have failed.
Israel and the United States rejected the pact. The United States and other Western countries have refused to accept any Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless it expressly recognizes Israel.
One of the thorniest issues of a potential cease-fire is the question of who will run Gaza after the war. The Hamas-Fatah unity efforts are motivated in part by Palestinians’ desire to offer a scenario for postwar rule. Israel is strongly opposed to any Hamas role in governing Gaza. Israel also rejects calls for the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority to run Gaza. The lack of agreement about a postwar plan leaves the future of the region and its people unsure.
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are pushing Israel and Hamas toward a deal that would stop the fighting. It would also free the roughly 120 remaining hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attack. Hamas formally accepted the deal in May.
Netanyahu faces intense pressure from many Israelis to agree to the U.S.-backed cease-fire deal. The main sticking point? He’s vowed to defeat Hamas before stopping the war. Still, his office says talks will continue on Thursday and that conditions for a Gaza deal are “ripening.”
