Top Biden administration officials expressed frustration on Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire proposal put forth by a group of nations led by the US. The proposal suggested a 21-day pause in hostilities across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Prior to the announcement of the ceasefire proposal, US officials had received assurances from Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, that the prime minister was in agreement with the framework. Dermer had reportedly reviewed and approved the text of the proposal.
However, shortly after the Biden White House unveiled the ceasefire proposal, Netanyahu and his office dismissed it, labeling the idea of an immediate ceasefire as 'incorrect' and vowing to continue Israel's offensive against Hezbollah.
Angered by Netanyahu's response, senior US officials, believing that the Israeli prime minister was reacting to domestic pressure from far-right members of his government, sought clarification from their Israeli counterparts.
During a meeting in New York City, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Dermer to issue a public statement addressing the situation. Subsequently, Netanyahu's office released a statement acknowledging the US efforts and indicating that discussions on the ceasefire proposal would continue in the coming days, without explicitly accepting or rejecting the proposal.
The statement from Israel expressed gratitude for the US role in promoting stability and security in the region.
Meetings between Dermer and top White House officials, including Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, were described as candid and frank. These officials had believed that Netanyahu was on board with the ceasefire proposal due to Dermer's involvement in the drafting process.
Both the Israeli embassy and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
