Former Israeli diplomat: Israel-Hamas ceasefire not likely before Biden leaves

Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas predicted Saturday that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza is unlikely before President Biden departs the White House early next year.

“Approximating zero, the likelihood of that happening,” Pinkas told NewsNation's Hena Doba in an interview on "Morning in America," adding, "I'm sorry to say that."

“Look, President Biden has been persistent and adamant for over a year, asking for a ceasefire and more than once said that Israel exhausted the military usefulness of the operation,” he continued. "Now he has 50 days before he leaves office on the 20th of January, approximately 50 days."

Pinkas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a "vested interest" in delaying a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Instead, the former diplomat added, Netanyahu will likely hold out for when President-elect Trump takes office.

"When he does, he'd like to present it as some kind of a good gesture of goodwill to his buddy buddy, Donald Trump.”

His comments come just days after Netanyahu announced his war cabinet approved a pause in fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Biden celebrated the deal, which was brokered by the U.S. and France, saying he would soon make a new push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Trump's national security team was also briefed on details of the agreement, which has left the region on edge.

“Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza so the hostages be released and the end of the war without Hamas in power, that becomes possible,” Biden said. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an ally of the president-elect, said Trump wants a ceasefire in Gaza and the hostage deal done before enters the Oval Office. 

“Trump is more determined than ever to release the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal. He wants to see it happening now,” Graham told Axios following his second trip to the Middle East in November. 

Pinkas, on Saturday, signaled Netanyahu could start “manipulating” Trump if the ceasefire is not reached before Biden exits.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to try and cajole President Trump, and even manipulate him, as he always does," he told Doba.

The diplomat suggested the Israeli leader would tell the president-elect: "'There is a ceasefire already, [it] hasn't been announced because there are small scale operations, intelligence-driven incursions and Mr. President, bear with me. Whatever plans you have with the Middle East, they'd be better off and have a higher likelihood of happening if Hamas is removed.'"

He also suggested that even if a ceasefire were reached, Hamas will not be “removed.” 

“That hasn't happened, and that won't happen unless Israel occupies the entire Gaza Strip, which, to the best of my knowledge, Israel has no intentions of doing,” Pinkas said. 

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