Biden says he expects Iran to hold off attack on Israel if Gaza cease-fire reached

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he expects that Iran would defer a retaliatory attack on Israel if negotiators are able to hammer out an agreement to end the bloodshed in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Asked if Iran would hold off on a retaliatory strike if an agreement is reached, Biden said: "That’s my expectation."

“We’ll see what Iran does. We’ll see what happens," he said. Still, the president acknowledged growing difficulties in the talks, saying "it’s getting harder" to reach an agreement, but maintained "I’m not giving up.”

For months, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but no agreement has been reached.

Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators urged Israel and Hamas to conclude a cease-fire and hostage release deal with no further delays or excuses. Negotiations are slated to resume this week.

Biden presented in May what he said was a three-phase Israeli proposal to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Hamas Sunday released a statement requesting mediators "present a plan to implement what they offered to the movement and which was agreed upon on July 2, based on Biden-backed proposal and the UN Security Council resolution, and to compel the (Israeli) occupation to adhere to it, rather than proceeding with more rounds of negotiations or new proposals that provide cover for the occupation's aggression and give it more time."

Israel "escalated its aggression against our people and committed further massacres, including the assassination of the movement's leader Ismail Haniyeh, confirming its intentions to continue the aggression and not reach a cease-fire agreement," added Hamas.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One Tuesday that "all negotiators should return to that table, and bring this deal to conclusion."

"It is time for Hamas to release the hostages, which include American citizens, and bring relief to the people of Gaza under the deal that is now on the table. And that's what the president had and his team has been working on around the clock, and that's what we want to see," she added.