President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday during the latter’s visit to Washington.
Vice President Kamala Harris is to meet with Netanyahu separately. According to the Associated Press, securing a deal to end the war and release the hostages that Hamas kidnapped on Oct. 7 is among the issues being discussed.
What Happened: A ceasefire would likely require the release of Israeli hostages, as well as the full withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Biden administration has become optimistic that an agreement can be reached.
Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. Around half of congressional Democrats skipped the speech, according to Axios, including Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC).
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian-American in Congress, attended but held up a sign that said “guilty of genocide” on one side and “war criminal” on its reverse.
Members of Congress have joined the families of hostages in expressing frustration at Netanyahu’s failure to secure the release of hostages. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called Netanyahu an obstacle to peace in the region in a Wednesday speech.
The betting market website Polymarket has implied odds of 42% for a ceasefire agreement to be reached before September.
Why It Matters: According to Reuters, over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war thus far.
The figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants killed. In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
The U.S. has defined Hamas as a terrorist group since 1997.
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