Sawt Falasteen - Netanyahu, Biden to meet on elusive Gaza deal

Netanyahu will also meet Vice President Kamala Harris -- the likely new Democratic presidential nominee -- at the White House on Thursday, one day after he gave a speech to the US Congress vowing "total victory" against Hamas.

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu are tense over Israel's conduct in the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attacks, despite the US president's continued military and political support for Washington's key Middle East ally.

And while Biden says he wants to secure a truce and hostage release deal in his last six months in office, Netanyahu may be tempted to wait until after his lame duck presidency and negotiate with his successor instead.

As part of his first White House visit during Biden's presidency, Netanyahu will hold talks with the US leader in the Oval Office at 1:00 pm (1700 GMT), and both will later meet the families of US hostages held in Gaza.

The Israeli military announced on Thursday the recovery of the bodies of five people held in Gaza since the October 7 attack, in an operation in the city of Khan Yunis.

In a primetime speech explaining his decision on Sunday to bow out of the US presidential election, the 81-year-old Biden made clear that the conflict would remain a top priority.

"I'm going to keep working to end the war on Gaza, bring home all the hostages to bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war," Biden said in his address to the nation.

A senior US administration official said on Wednesday that negotiations on a Gaza deal were in the last stretch and that Biden would try to close some "final gaps" with Netanyahu.

- 'Closing stages' -

"We believe it's in the closing stages and a deal is closeable," the US official said on condition of anonymity, adding that there would be "lot of activity in the coming week."

The US official played down Netanyahu's fiery speech to Congress, which sparked rowdy protests.

A possible truce now hinges on a handful of issues about how a deal would come into effect, with Hamas having eased its demand for a full Israeli pull-out from the Gaza Strip, the official said.

"I don't expect the meeting (with Netanyahu) to be a yes or no, it's a kind of like 'how do we close these final gaps?' And there are some things we need from the Israeli side, no question," the official said.

"But there's also some key things that are only in the hands of Hamas because the hostages are in the hands of Hamas."

But in a sign that the world may already be moving on without Biden, Netanyahu is set to meet separately with Harris.

Harris has previously been more outspoken about Israel's conduct of the war, prompting speculation that she will shift her policy as presidential nominee.

Republican contender Donald Trump will meanwhile meet Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Friday.

Biden has offered Israel steadfast support since October 7, even hugging Netanyahu at Tel Aviv airport when he visited just days after the attacks on Israel.

But Biden has been increasingly critical of Israel over the Palestinian death toll in its offensive in Gaza, and criticized the amount of aid getting through to the stricken territory.

The US president unveiled a ceasefire plan in May, but negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been torturous, and Israel's assault on the enclave has continued.

Washington has meanwhile continued its massive military support for Israel.

The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 111 are still being held inside the Gaza Strip, including 39 who the military says are dead.

More than 39,100 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war broke out, according to data provided by the health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza.

S.Barghouti--SF-PST