American officials remain doubtful a final diplomatic push in the Middle East this week will result in a pause in fighting in Gaza before Tuesday’s US presidential election, according to people familiar with the thinking, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waits to see who the next American president will be.
Hopes for progress in ending the fighting in Lebanon are slightly higher, and the country’s prime minister on Thursday voiced optimism that a deal to bring an end to cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah could be in the final stages.
Any progress at lowering temperatures in the region will be considered a win inside the White House. Still, the sense that Netanyahu is waiting out the US campaign season – a long-held view inside the Biden administration – remains strong as top envoys travel in the region to discuss prospects of bringing the violence to an end.
CIA Director Bill Burns was in Cairo on Thursday for discussions on Gaza and Lebanon, including a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
At the same time, US envoy Amos Hochstein and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk are in Israel for talks on hostage and ceasefire issues along with a discussion of Iran, all centered on the US policy of “de-escalation backed by deterrence.”
Hopes for striking a deal to end the fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border have been freshly bolstered by progress in the talks over the past several days, and Hochstein was expected to continue the talks this week.