Biden Official: Full Hostage Release Was Never Realistic Early On

Brett McGurk, a senior official in the Biden administration involved in hostage release negotiations, has refuted claims made in Israel regarding the talks with Hamas. Speaking on Dan Senor's "Call Me Back" podcast, McGurk stated that the immediate return of all hostages early in the war was not a realistic possibility. Washington believed Hamas intended to hold some hostages for years as bargaining chips.

McGurk explained that the initial deal collapsed because Hamas decided to stop releasing young women and move to other categories. Israel refused this demand, fearing it would endanger the women's lives. He added that even later, before the operation in Rafah, no deal was on the table that Hamas was willing to accept, despite significant Israeli concessions.

The Biden administration's pressure on Israel to avoid an operation in Rafah, McGurk clarified, was not based on an assessment that Israel was blocking a deal. Instead, the administration sought to reduce the intensity of fighting and de-escalate the situation in the area, which he argued also reduced pressure on Hamas to be flexible.

Regarding Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, McGurk asserted that as long as Sinwar was alive, a comprehensive deal was difficult to envision. He suggested that the operation in Rafah and the resulting military pressure were factors leading to Sinwar's eventual elimination and shifted the balance of pressure on Hamas. McGurk believes that military force and negotiation are not contradictory; rather, military pressure was a key leverage point that enabled progress in deals.