Israeli officials claim the Biden administration knew about the latest hostage and ceasefire deal proposal Egypt and Qatar negotiated with Hamas, but didn't brief Israel before Hamas announced it accepted it on Monday.
A senior U.S. official pushed back saying "American diplomats have been engaged with Israeli counterparts. There have been no surprises."Why it matters: The episode has created deep disappointment and suspicion among senior Israeli officials regarding the U.S. role in the hostage deal talks and could negatively influence the negotiations going forward.
The U.S. official said "this is an extremely difficult process with negotiations conducted through intermediaries in Doha and Cairo.
"He added that the U.S. believes Israel has engaged in the talks in good faith and that Israel's late April proposal was "the most forward leaning proposal to date. To secure a ceasefire, Hamas simply needs to release hostages. It's all mapped out."
The official also said the Biden administration sees Hamas' response as a counter-proposal and not as a new proposal.
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What is your opinion on using intermediaries in negotiations? Do you think it complicates or simplifies reaching an agreement?
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Would your trust in someone change if you felt they were not transparent with you about critical information, and why?
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How would you feel if you believed a trusted friend kept important information from you during a crisis?
