World leaders are urging for a cease-fire agreement, while protesters are rallying in the streets of Israel. Additionally, families of hostages are imploring their leader to reach a resolution. These challenges are converging on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as he prepares for his upcoming visit to Washington.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to deliver a speech before a divided Congress, a speech that is expected to be contentious if he fails to secure a deal with Hamas to end the ongoing conflict prior to his trip. Mediators in Qatar and Egypt have been engaged in negotiations to establish a framework for a potential agreement, which would halt the fighting and involve the return of approximately 120 living and deceased hostages who were part of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
During a session at the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu emphasized that increasing military pressure on Hamas could lead to more concessions in the negotiation process, indicating that a deal might not be imminent. In response to the situation, Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s parliamentary opposition, called on Mr. Netanyahu to cancel his Congress speech unless he was prepared to announce a hostage deal.
Mr. Lapid emphasized the importance of a straightforward agreement without unnecessary conditions that could impede progress. Reports have suggested that Mr. Netanyahu’s additional conditions in the negotiations might create obstacles that Hamas would likely oppose.
