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'Significant' Pause In Gaza War If Hostages Freed, Says US Official

Smoke rises from an explosion following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
Smoke rises from an explosion following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
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'Significant' Pause In Gaza War If Hostages Freed, Says US Official

Smoke rises from an explosion following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
Smoke rises from an explosion following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

US President Joe Biden's main adviser on the Middle East said Saturday there would be a "significant pause" in the Israel-Hamas war if hostages held by militants in Gaza are freed.

Hamas seized about 240 hostages on October 7 when they surged across Gaza's militarized border into southern Israel.

In response, Israel is carrying out a relentless bombardment and ground offensive of targets in the Gaza Strip which has so far killed 12,300 people, according to the Palestinian territory's Hamas government.

"The surge in humanitarian relief, the surge in fuel, the pause... will come when hostages are released," Brett McGurk told a security conference in Bahrain.

Release of a large number of hostages would result in "a significant pause... and a massive surge of humanitarian relief," he said, AFP reported.

McGurk said Biden had discussed the issue on Friday evening with the ruler of Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts toward a ceasefire and release of the captives.

The White House said Biden and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani discussed "the urgent need for all hostages held by Hamas to be released without further delay".

Two days earlier Biden had said he was "mildly hopeful" of reaching a deal to free the hostages, believed to include about 10 US citizens.

French President Emmanuel Macron also discussed the hostages with al-Thani and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday, his office said.

Macron said immediately freeing the captives, of whom eight are French, was "an absolute priority for France".

The three leaders also talked about strengthening their coordination to deliver aid to civilians in Gaza, Macron's office said.

So far efforts by Qatar have led to the release of four of the captives. A fifth hostage, a soldier, was rescued in an Israeli operation.

Israel's army said this week it had recovered the bodies of two women hostages in Gaza.

McGurk said on Saturday that the situation in the besieged Palestinian territory was "horrific" and "intolerable".

Israel has refused to heed calls for a ceasefire before all the hostages are released.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who also attended the Bahrain conference, said it was "unacceptable" to link humanitarian pauses to release of hostages.

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Arab World

Aoun Leading Efforts to Avert Shiite Boycott of New Lebanese Govt

A handout photo made available by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (C) attending a meeting with Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office)
A handout photo made available by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (C) attending a meeting with Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office)
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Aoun Leading Efforts to Avert Shiite Boycott of New Lebanese Govt

A handout photo made available by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (C) attending a meeting with Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office)
A handout photo made available by the Lebanese Presidency Press Office shows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (C) attending a meeting with Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (L) and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon, 14 January 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office)

Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to kick off parliamentary consultations to form a new government.

He assured that it will “not exclude anyone”, but seek “unity and partnership.”

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that President Joseph Aoun is leading efforts to avert a Shiite boycott of the new government after the “Shiite duo” of the Hezbollah and Amal movement, which is led by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, refrained from naming Salam for the position of PM during Monday’s consultations.

Their abstention has raised fears that the new government will not be constitutional without the representation of the largest Shiite parties in the country.

Reports have said that the duo may boycott the parliamentary consultations to form a government that Salam will hold on Wednesday.

Sources said the duo may skip the first day of talks, which will conclude on Thursday, to demonstrate its “annoyance” with the developments.

Berri, however, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the “situation is not that negative”. He did not elaborate on the duo’s next steps.

Moreover, Asharq Al-Awsat learned that French President Macron had even intervened to avoid a dispute over the government, holding telephone talks with Aoun and Berri.

Salam’s appointment as prime minister came as a major shock given the large number of votes he won from the parliamentary blocs, compared to his predecessor Najib Mikati and against the will of the Shiite duo. In past years, Hezbollah has repeatedly blocked Salam from becoming prime minister.

Aoun stressed the need to “avoid placing obstacles in the government formation process.”

Aoun held a meeting with Salam at the presidential palace on Tuesday before later being joined by Berri, who left the palace without making a statement.

After the talks, Salam spoke before reporters to express his gratitude to parliament and the people for entrusting him with the “difficult task of serving Lebanon” and “achieving the people’s dreams.”

“It is time to open a new chapter that is rooted in justice, security, progress and opportunity, so that Lebanon can be a nation of free people who are equal under their rights,” he added.

On the possible boycott of the Shiite duo, he said he was against exclusion and on the contrary supported unity. “This is my sincere call, and my hands are extended to everyone,” he added.

The formation of a government in Lebanon often takes months due to political wrangling.

Aoun said on Tuesday that Lebanon has a “very major opportunity that we should all seize.”

He received a delegation from the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council.

“Obstacles must not be placed in the formation process,” he urged. “We must send positive signals to the international community that Lebanon can govern itself, carry out reconstruction transparently and build the state that we are all calling for.”

“If one segment of Lebanon is broken, then the whole country will break,” he stressed, saying Monday’s consultations to appoint Salam were a democratic process and that the public interest remains the top priority.

Aoun, who was elected last week, added that he has declined visits from well-wishers over his election “out of respect for the martyrs” who were killed during Israel’s war on Lebanon, which ended with a ceasefire in November.