US pressuring Israel to reach ceasefire deal on Gaza: Report
A report says the United States is pressuring Israel to strike a deal with Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to end the genocidal war in Gaza, as Washington seeks to move forward with an agreement with Saudi Arabia.
According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Washington is exerting intense pressure on Tel Aviv to strike a deal with Hamas, warning the regime it will be left to face the consequences alone if it refuses.
This comes as US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week.
A senior US official has criticized Israel’s stance in talks aimed to renew a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, warning that the Israeli cabinet would pay a very heavy price if it continues to oppose an agreement in Gaza.
On Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported that the senior US official, whose name was not disclosed, told the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza that the captives have already paid the price for the failure to end the war.
“If until now they paid the price of not ending the war, today the price will be much heavier for Israel — and not just for the hostages.”
The official noted that the US would reach a regional agreement with Saudi Arabia even without Israel’s involvement.
The unnamed official described the ceasefire agreement with Yemen as “just a prelude”. “If Israel doesn’t come to its senses, even the ‘Deal of the Millennium’ will happen without it.”
Trump announced on Tuesday the US will stop bombing Yemen. The Ansarullah resistance movement clarified that the ceasefire with Washington was solely to halt mutual attacks in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, but does not affect Yemen’s operations against Israel, which will continue in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
On Thursday, Israel Hayom confirmed that Trump has lost patience with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will not wait any longer for Israel before advancing initiatives in West Asia.
Under the former administration of Joe Biden, the US and Israel were involved in talks with Riyadh that would see Washington enter a defense accord with the kingdom, provide it with civilian nuclear technology, and sell it advanced weapons – all in exchange for normalization with Israel.
As part of any agreement to normalize ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia expects an end to the war in Gaza and an Israeli declaration of a “horizon for a Palestinian state.”
Trump believes Netanyahu is delaying making the necessary decisions for a potential US–Israeli agreement with Saudi Arabia.
