Biden welcomes King of Jordan as framework for hostage deal is decided in Israel-Hamas conflict

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington on Monday and the two leaders are expected to discuss ongoing efforts to free hostages held in Gaza and growing concerns about a possible Israeli military operation in the port city of Rafah.

It is the first meeting between the allies since three US troops were killed in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan last month. Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the fatalities, the first for the US after months of attacks by such groups against US forces in the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The meeting with King Abdullah II comes as Biden and his aides work to strike a new pause in Israel’s war against Hamas to send humanitarian aid and supplies into the region and get hostages out. The White House is facing mounting criticism from Arab-Americans over the administration’s continued support for Israel despite the rising number of casualties in Gaza.

It looked like a deal for another break in the fighting was close. A senior U.S. government official said Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and phone calls, there was essentially a framework for a deal that would allow the release of the remaining hostages Hamas was holding in Gaza in exchange for an end to the fighting.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, acknowledged that gaps still exist but declined to specify what they are. The official said Israeli military pressure on Hamas in Khan Younis in recent weeks has helped push the militant group closer to accepting a deal. The potential for an agreement took up most of Biden’s call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The official said the two leaders also had significant back-and-forth over the possible expansion of Israeli military operations in Rafah and that Biden reiterated U.S. opposition to the idea under the “current circumstances” as more than 1.3 million people shelter there to have.

It was the president’s strongest statement yet about the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israel’s military response in Gaza “overblown,” also sought “urgent and specific” steps to boost humanitarian aid. Israeli television channel Channel 13 said the conversation lasted 45 minutes.

The official said the Israelis “have made it clear that they would not consider an operation in Rafah without protecting the civilian population. The official said the US is not confident there is a viable or actionable plan to move civilians from Rafah to enable military operations. place.

Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israel’s actions and have shunned public support for long-term planning about what will happen next, arguing that fighting must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October, as the number of civilian casualties began to soar.

Biden had planned to visit Jordan during his trip to Israel in October, shortly after Hamas’ attack on October 7, but the trip was scrapped. On his way home from Israel, Biden announced that he had helped broker the first deal to temporarily pause the fighting and open the Rafah crossing to humanitarian aid.

In the months since, members of his government have made repeated trips to the region to engage with leaders there.

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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.