Biden to meet this week with families of American hostages in Gaza

Well, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken offering *** very optimistic assessment of the hostage and cease fire negotiations saying that he believes that we're quote inside the 10 yard line and driving toward the goal line in terms of getting an agreement. He noted the fact that Hamas has effectively agreed to *** framework proposal. The one President Biden laid out in *** speech several weeks ago. We know that for the last couple of weeks, it does appear that Israel and Hamas effectively have *** framework agreement to try and build out *** final deal for *** cease fire here. But over the course of the last two weeks, we've seen officials shuttling between Doha Qatar and Cairo Egypt without actually *** clear sense of how close they are actually getting to *** deal. So very notable to hear the Secretary of State now offering this assessment. At the same time, he did note that he doesn't want to be quote naive saying that sometimes it is those last 10 yards that are often the hardest. The Secretary of State and President Biden have an opportunity next week to convince the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get across those final 10 yards as the Israeli Prime Minister is set to travel to Washington this weekend for *** series of meetings including with President Biden, as well as an address to *** joint meeting of Congress. Now as all of this is happening, the International Court of Justice issuing *** very significant ruling, *** non binding ruling but one that is unprecedented in its kind as it relates to situation. The International Court of Justice ruling that Israel's presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal. They offer that in an advisory opinion that stems from *** request by the Un General Assembly in 2022 to assess the legality and the consequences of Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories captured in the 1967 war. The International Court of Justice ruling on this separate from its ongoing case regarding South Africa's allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. But even this ruling from the International Court of Justice, an advisory ruling that is not legally binding, receiving harsh recriminations in Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister saying that the Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land saying that no false decision in the Hague will distort what he calls *** historical truth. Jeremy Diamonds, CNN Tel Aviv.

President Joe Biden is expected to meet this week with the families of Americans believed to be held hostage in Gaza.Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the families in a meeting Monday afternoon that the president would meet with them later this week, a source familiar told CNN.Biden is also expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, a U.S. official said, though the date of the meeting has been fluid as the U.S. president recovers from COVID-19. The president has been isolating at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home since his diagnosis last week. He’s set to return to the White House Tuesday afternoon.There are eight dual-American citizens believed to be still captive in Gaza, three of whom have been confirmed dead. The Biden administration has not shared information about the well-being or whereabouts of the five that may still be alive.Biden’s meetings this week with the families of the hostages and Netanyahu comes as a ceasefire and hostages release proposal that the president has been pushing for months has yet to be finalized.Biden, calling into Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters, said Monday that it’s “critically important” the U.S. maintain its alliances, push for peace and bring hostages home, suggesting the administration may be close to doing so.“I’ve been working very closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end and the Middle East peace and get all those hostages home. I think we’re on a verge of being able to do that,” the president said.A State Department spokesperson reiterated Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assessment that a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “inside the 10 yard line,” but that unresolved issues remain.“We continue discussions with the other mediators and with the government of Israel to try to reach a resolution, but we don’t have that yet, and I don’t have any kind of forecast about when we might come to one,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing Monday.Netanyahu is traveling to Washington, D.C., to address Congress – along with meeting with Biden and Harris – but Miller would not say whether or not a deal might happen by then.CNN’s Michael Conte and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden is expected to meet this week with the families of Americans believed to be held hostage in Gaza.

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the families in a meeting Monday afternoon that the president would meet with them later this week, a source familiar told CNN.

Biden is also expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, a U.S. official said, though the date of the meeting has been fluid as the U.S. president recovers from COVID-19. The president has been isolating at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home since his diagnosis last week. He’s set to return to the White House Tuesday afternoon.

There are eight dual-American citizens believed to be still captive in Gaza, three of whom have been confirmed dead. The Biden administration has not shared information about the well-being or whereabouts of the five that may still be alive.

Biden’s meetings this week with the families of the hostages and Netanyahu comes as a ceasefire and hostages release proposal that the president has been pushing for months has yet to be finalized.

Biden, calling into Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters, said Monday that it’s “critically important” the U.S. maintain its alliances, push for peace and bring hostages home, suggesting the administration may be close to doing so.

“I’ve been working very closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end and the Middle East peace and get all those hostages home. I think we’re on a verge of being able to do that,” the president said.

A State Department spokesperson reiterated Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assessment that a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “inside the 10 yard line,” but that unresolved issues remain.

“We continue discussions with the other mediators and with the government of Israel to try to reach a resolution, but we don’t have that yet, and I don’t have any kind of forecast about when we might come to one,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing Monday.

Netanyahu is , to address Congress – along with meeting with Biden and Harris – but Miller would not say whether or not a deal might happen by then.

CNN’s Michael Conte and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

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