Major roadblocks in Gaza ceasefire talks raise doubts over whether war can be ended before Biden leaves office

The Biden administration has hit major roadblocks in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations after months of feverish work, raising doubts within the White House about whether the Israel-Hamas war can come to an end before the end of Joe Biden’s one-term presidency, officials told CNN.

The Biden administration has hit major roadblocks in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations after months of feverish work, raising doubts within the White House about whether the Israel-Hamas war can come to an end before the end of Joe Biden’s one-term presidency, officials told CNN. While Biden and his top aides have persistently expressed hope that they can ultimately push a deal across the line, significant complications have shifted the mood in recent days. US officials say they are increasingly skeptical that Hamas and the group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, may actually want an agreement. They have accused the group of making the negotiations more difficult following the recent execution of six hostages in Gaza. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has poured cold water on US hopefulness, though Biden officials have largely refrained from criticizing him. The prime minister said bluntly this week that a deal is not close and is arguing for a permanent Israeli presence in southwestern Gaza, despite international calls, including from the US, for Israel to eventually fully withdraw. Meanwhile, anger has soared in Israel with massive protests around the country against the Netanyahu government for failing to secure a deal that would bring home the more than 100 hostages who remain, several of whom are also American. US officials, for now, are insistent that the bulk of the blame for the impasse lies with Hamas. They may simply “never want a deal,” one senior administration official told CNN, echoing the concerns widely raised both in public and in private by US officials in recent days about Sinwar’s interest in getting to a “yes” in ceasefire and hostage talks that have stalled once again.