“The people of Gaza have been through hell. Their world is absolutely shattered. Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much.”

These words are taken from remarks made by US President Joe Biden on 26 November when announcing a ceasefire agreement between Hizbullah and Israel that took effect at 4am on 27 November.

The details of the agreement were jointly negotiated by the US and France. Besides the remarks by Biden, the White House released a joint statement from Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron announcing the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

According to the statement, the US and France will work with Lebanon and Israel to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The two governments committed themselves to leading and supporting international efforts for the capacity building of the Lebanese Army as well as efforts leading to economic development in Lebanon to “advance stability and prosperity” in the Middle East.

The remarks made by Biden on this occasion were more comprehensive in dealing with the situation in both Lebanon and Gaza and the Middle East at large. He talked about the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza that would prepare the ground for solving the Palestinian question and achieving regional integration.

As far as the Lebanese question is concerned, Biden noted that “lasting security” between Lebanon and Israel cannot be achieved through the use of military force. However, he stressed that if Hizbullah or “anyone else” violates the deal, thus threatening the security of Israel, then Israel “retains the right of self-defence.”

This point was emphasised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 26 November, when he said that in agreement with the US Israel has “total liberty of action” through the use of military force in Lebanon if its security is threatened.

Fewer than two months before he leaves the White House, Biden said that the people of Gaza deserve an end to the war that has been raging for more than a year now. However, he said that he believes that the responsibility for ending the hostilities in Gaza depends on Hamas, for it has a choice to make, namely to free the Israeli hostages, which would end the war and ensure a surge in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.

As the quotation above indicates, this was the first time that Biden had spoken emotionally about the Palestinians in Gaza. The irony is that his administration had just decided to provide Israel with a further $680 million in arms and ammunition.

Biden said that the US would push for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza in cooperation with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and “others.” It was interesting to note that he was emphatic in rejecting any future role for Hamas in governing Gaza in the post-war period.

The most interesting part of the remarks lay in Biden’s vision for the future of the Middle East once the war in Gaza stops. He said that he believed that the ceasefire deal in Lebanon would make it possible to realise his vision for a more integrated and prosperous Middle East, in which the Palestinians could establish a state of their own to fulfill their “legitimate aspirations.”

This would be a state that would not pose a threat to Israel or harbour what Biden termed “terrorist groups” enjoying Iranian support.

In order to achieve this objective, the US was still ready to conclude a “set of historic” deals with Saudi Arabia, which would comprise a security pact as well as economic “assurances,” the nature of which Biden did not elaborate. Perhaps this was an implicit reference to a peaceful nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia.

The above would be linked to a credible “pathway” towards a Palestinian state, Biden said, and the full normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Biden promised to “work tirelessly” to advance such a vision for an “integrated, secure, and prosperous” Middle East.

He concluded his remarks by giving some pertinent advice to the Israelis. He said that he believed that Israel should be bold in turning the “tactical gains” it has achieved through military means against Iran-backed groups in the region into a coherent strategy that would ultimately secure the long-term security of Israel and promote broader peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

The open question is whether Netanyahu shares this vision. If he does, would he be willing to work with Biden over the next few weeks to achieve it? Or would he prefer to wait until after 20 January next year and let the 47th President of the United States Donald Trump, achieve such a historic breakthrough in his second term in office?

I would argue that Netanyahu will opt for the latter.

The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 December, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly