Washington D.C. – NBC News, September 05, 2024
The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist organization to secure their loved ones’ release, and the option is currently under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people familiar with the discussions.
In a meeting Sunday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan after Hamas killed six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore “every option,” but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach, people familiar with the conversation said.
The discussions about a unilateral deal come as family members, and some administration officials, increasingly believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not commit to an agreement with Hamas that implements a cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, according to the people familiar with the discussions.
There are four remaining American hostages being held by Hamas that the U.S. believes are alive, and the administration is seeking the return of the remains of three others who are believed to be dead.
NBC News reported in June that the Biden administration had discussed possibly negotiating a unilateral deal with Hamas for the release of American hostages in Gaza if cease-fire talks involving Israel fell apart. The idea did not advance, with some top administration officials strongly opposing it, and President Joe Biden opting to continue to try to reach a broader deal that includes Israel and ultimately outlines a path to end the conflict.
But, in a sign that a unilateral deal has been explored internally, the Biden administration pulled together a list of prisoners in the U.S. whose release Hamas might be interested in securing as part of an agreement that would free the kidnapped Americans, according to two former and two current U.S. officials familiar with the planning. One of the officials said there are five individuals on the list.
