美国总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)周一在一次宣传其外交政策遗产的演讲中表示，美国“正在努力”达成一项协议，以释放一些被哈马斯扣押的人质，换取加沙一段时间的和平。
“关于之间的战争以色列而哈马斯，我们正处在我几个月前详细阐述的一项提案最终取得成果的边缘，”拜登在国务院的一次演讲中说，并补充说，他在长期的公共服务生涯中学会了“永远、永远、永远、永远不要放弃”。"
“巴勒斯坦人民应该享有和平和决定自己未来的权利。以色列应该得到和平和真正的安全。人质和他们的家人应该团聚，”总统继续说道。“因此，我们正在紧急工作，以完成这笔交易。”
在总统发表讲话之前，对正在进行的高层会谈最终可能达成期待已久的停火协议的信心在华盛顿蔓延开来，因为白宫暗示，在拜登一周内离任之前，协议可能会得到巩固。
国家安全顾问杰克·沙利文在白宫的一次新闻发布会上说:“我们接近达成协议，本周可以完成。”“我不会做出承诺或预测，但这是可以实现的，我们将努力实现它。”
政府的其他成员甚至更加谨慎乐观，预测未来24小时可能是谈判的“成败关键”。
据了解谈判情况的官员透露，目前摆在桌面上的提议要求最初的停火期至少持续六周，以换取释放大约30名活着或死去的加沙人质。这些官员补充说，预计以色列还将释放1000多名巴勒斯坦囚犯和被拘留者。
官员们说，许多细节，包括可能被移交的人质的确切人数，仍在制定中，但哈马斯表示愿意移交该组织扣押的七名美国公民中的至少两人——36岁的萨吉·德克勒·陈(Sagui Dekel-Chen)和65岁的基思·西格尔(Keith Siegel)。
自从拜登总统在5月底概述了他的三阶段和平协议框架以来，拜登政府一直在推动以色列和哈马斯签署现有协议的一个版本，随着就职典礼的临近，即将上任的特朗普政府成员在调解过程中发挥了越来越重要的作用。
沙利文说，协调有助于提出“一个统一的信息”，即“尽快达成这项协议符合美国的国家安全利益，无论是哪一方，无论是即将离任还是即将上任的政府。”
从实际角度来看，特朗普团队的参与也是必要的，因为美国将充当任何达成协议的担保人，而拜登政府不会执政足够长的时间来完成这一协议。
当选总统唐纳德·特朗普一再警告哈马斯，如果在他1月20日就职时人质没有被释放，“中东将会爆发所有的地狱”。
在国务院发表讲话之前，拜登表示，他已经通过电话进行了沟通——根据白宫的说法，周一他与卡塔尔领导人通了电话，周日他与以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡通了电话。
拜登说，他也将很快与埃及总统塞西通话，塞西是监督谈判的另一个关键经纪人。
乌克兰、伊朗
总统还将部分言论集中在俄罗斯在乌克兰的战争上，吹捧政府在这一过程中支持乌克兰和全球联盟的努力，指出23个北约国家现在将国内生产总值的2%用于国防，高于他上任时的9个。
“今天，我可以向美国人民报告，我们的对手比我们四年前上任时更弱了。以俄罗斯为例。当普京入侵乌克兰时，他试图在几天内征服基辅。但事实是，自从那场战争开始，我是唯一一个站在基辅市中心的人，而不是他。普京从来没有。想想吧，”他说。
“我们帮助乌克兰人阻止普京。现在，将近三年过去了，普京未能实现他的任何战略目标，”拜登说。
“今天，乌克兰仍然是一个自由、独立的国家，拥有光明未来的潜力。我们为下一届政府奠定了基础，这样他们就能保护乌克兰人民的光明未来，”他后来补充道
拜登吹捧美国的工作在他任职期间也有助于削弱伊朗，尽管他指出他不能声称所有的功劳。
“现在，我不能对导致伊朗和俄罗斯在过去四年里日益衰弱的每一个因素都居功。他们自己造成了很多伤害，但是以色列对伊朗和它的代理人造成了很多伤害。但毫无疑问，我们的行动做出了重大贡献，”拜登说。
阿富汗
总统还谈到了其政府的一个低谷，为他在2021年从阿富汗撤出美国军队的决定进行了辩护，这次行动导致13名军人死亡。
“在我看来，是时候结束战争，让我们的军队回家了，我们做到了。我赞扬所有在阿富汗服役的人的勇气。我们哀悼所有2461名美国人在美国历史上最长的战争中做出的最终牺牲，我哀悼那些在撤军过程中丧生的勇敢的军人，”拜登说。“我们也感谢政府内外的那些人，他们为帮助成千上万的阿富汗家庭在美国重新定居做了很多工作。”
总统在讲话中也展望了未来，敦促即将上任的特朗普政府继续努力应对未来的两大挑战:人工智能和清洁能源转型。
“我知道，一些即将上任的政府对清洁能源的需求持怀疑态度。他们甚至不相信气候变化是真实的。我认为他们来自不同的世纪。他们错了。他们大错特错。这是对人类存在的最大威胁，”拜登对即将上任的特朗普团队的言论进行了最强烈的批评。
Biden says Hamas and Israel 'on the brink' of hostage-release, ceasefire deal
In a speech touting his foreign policy legacy, President Joe Biden on Monday said the U.S. was "pressing hard" to close a deal that would see some of the hostages held by Hamas freed in exchange for a period of peace in Gaza.
"On the war betweenIsraeland Hamas, we're on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition," Biden said during an address at the State Department, adding that he had learned during his long career in public service "to never, never, never, ever give up."
"The Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their own futures. Israel deserves peace and real security. And the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited," the president continued. "And so, we're working urgently to close this deal."
In advance of the president's speech, confidence that the ongoing high-level talks could finally yield a long-awaited ceasefire agreement bloomed across Washington as the White House signaled a deal could be cemented before the Biden leaves office within a week.
"We are close to a deal, and it can get done this week," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a press briefing at the White House. "I'm not making a promise or a prediction, but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen."
Other members of the administration were even more cautiously optimistic, predicting that the next 24 hours would likely be "make or break" for the negotiations.
The current proposal on the table calls for an initial ceasefire period lasting at least six weeks in exchange for the release of around 30 living or dead hostages held in Gaza, according to officials familiar with the talks, who add that Israel is also expected to release more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The officials say many of the specifics, including the exact number of hostages that would be turned over, are still being worked out, but that Hamas has indicated it is willing to hand over at least two of the seven American citizens the group is holding -- Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Keith Siegel, 65.
While the Biden administration has been pushing Israel and Hamas to sign onto a version of the current deal since the president outlined his framework for three-stage peace pact in late May,members of the incoming Trump administration have played an increasingly significant role in the mediation process as the inauguration draws closer.
Sullivan said that coordination served to present "a united message" that it is "in the American national security interest, regardless of party, regardless of outgoing or incoming administration to get this deal done as fast as possible."
The Trump team's involvement is also necessary from a practical standpoint since the U.S. would act as a guarantor of any deal that comes to fruition and the Biden administration won't be in power long enough for it to play out.
President-elect Donald Trump has warned Hamas repeatedly that "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if the hostages aren't released by his taking office on Jan. 20.
Ahead of his speech at the State Department, Biden said he had worked the phones -- speaking with the leader of Qatar, a critical intermediary with direct lines to Hamas, on Monday and talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, according to the White House.
Biden said he would also soon speak to Egypt's President Sisi, another key broker overseeing the negotiations.
Ukraine, Iran
The president also focused part of his remarks on Russia's war in Ukraine, touting the administration's efforts to bolster Ukraine and global alliances in the process -- noting that 23 NATO countries are now spending 2% of the GDP on defense, up from nine when he took office.
"Today, I can report to the American people our adversaries are weaker than where we came into this job four years ago. Just consider Russia. When Putin invaded Ukraine, he tried to conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. But the truth is, since that war began, I'm the only one who stood in the center of Kyiv, not him. Putin never has. Think about it," he said.
"We help Ukrainians stop Putin. And now, nearly three years later, Putin has failed to achieve any of his strategic objectives," Biden said.
"Today, Ukraine is still free, independent country with the potential -- potential for a bright future. And we laid the foundation for the next administration so they can protect the bright future of the Ukrainian people," he later added
Biden touted the U.S. work help diminish Iran during his time in office as well, though noted he could not claim all the credit.
"Now, I cannot claim credit for every factor that led to Iran and Russia growing weaker in the past four years. They did plenty of damage all by themselves, but Israel did plenty of damage to Iran and its proxies. But there's no question our actions contributed significantly," Biden said.
Afghanistan
The president also addressed a low point of his administration, defending his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, an operation that killed 13 service members.
"In my view, it was time to end the war and bring our troops home and we did. I commend the courage of all those who served in Afghanistan. We grieve all 2,461 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice in the longest war in American history, and I grieve for those brave service members whose lives were lost during the withdrawal," Biden said. "We also thank those inside and outside of government, have done so much to help thousands of Afghan families resettle in the United States."
The president looked ahead in his speech as well, urging the incoming Trump administration to continue working on two major challenges for the future: artificial intelligence and the clean energy transition.
"I know, and some incoming administration -- some in the incoming administration are skeptical about the need for clean energy. They don't even believe climate change is real. I think they come from a different century. They're wrong. They are dead wrong. It's the single greatest existential central threat to humanity," Biden said in his strongest criticism of the incoming Trump team of the remarks.
