US frantically tries to stall Israeli invasion of Gaza to allow more hostage negotiations

The Biden administration is frantically trying to stall Israel’s invasion of Gaza in hopes of furthering negotiations over the more than 200 hostages still held by Hamas, a report said Sunday.

The development came as Israel ramped up its bombardment in Gaza ahead of its planned all-out invasion and clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border grew — with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Sunday that if the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah “decides to enter the war … it will be the mistake of its life.”

President Biden and other US officials remained in frantic talks to delay the Gaza invasion of Israel Defense Forces so that more hostages might be freed before the Palestinian territory dissolves further into a war zone, sources briefed on the talks told CNN.

“The [administration] pressed Israeli leadership to delay because of progress on the hostage front,” an official said after the release of two US citizens Friday.

Biden, asked Saturday if he was discussing plans to delay the Gaza invasion, told reporters, “I’m talking to the Israelis.”

America is currently serving as a key negotiator along with Qatar to ensure the release of 210 hostages, including 30 children, trapped in Gaza. Qatar, which delivers aid to Palestinians, has previously worked with the US to free hostages in Afghanistan and Iraq.

After the release of American mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan of Illinois, Hamas said it was willing to release two more hostages. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the claim as “false Hamas propaganda,” suggesting the terrorists were merely seeking to delay the Jewish nation’s all-out assault.

Hamas has declined to comment on its “Israeli army captives” until Israel ends its “aggression.”

The statement came as overnight airstrikes in central Gaza’s Deir Al Balah killed at least 143 people, according to Palestinian officials.

Israeli authorities said among those killed in recent bombings was Muhammad Katmash, the deputy artillery commander for Hamas who had been overseing many strikes against Israel and helped plan the terror group’s heinous Oct. 7 sneak invasion, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israel said early Sunday that it also bombed the al-Ansar Mosque, which was being used as a terror cell headquarters, in Jenin in Gaza, killing at least two people.

The Jewish country has vowed to only accelerate its long-range artillery fire and airstrikes in Gaza as IDF tanks begin to line up along the border.

“We have to enter the next phase of the war in the best conditions, not according to what anyone tells us,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Saturday.

“From today, we are increasing the strikes and minimizing the danger” to the Israeli troops that will soon invade. We are going to increase the attacks, from today,” he vowed.

Israel also vowed to meet Hezbollah head-on as the Lebanon terrorists pummel it with rockets and missiles.

“We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state are devastating,” Netanyahu said Sunday of Hezbollah while visiting Israeli troops near Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Sunday that Hezbollah has been “escalating the situation steadily.

“Bottom line is … Hezbollah is playing a very, very dangerous game,” the spokesman told reporters. “[It is] extremely important for everybody in Lebanon to ask themselves the question of the price. Is the Lebanese state really willing to jeopardize what is left of Lebanese prosperity and Lebanese sovereignty for the sake of terrorists in Gaza?”

Palestinians are being warned with new leaflets from the IDF that they may be identified as sympathizers with a “terrorist organization” if they don’t leave the area.

While Biden has steadfastly stood by Israel, he tweeted Sunday that he and Netanyahu also have “discussed how Israel must operate by the laws of war.

“That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can. We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace,” Biden wrote.

“We cannot give up on a two-state solution.”

The increasing tensions between the Israelis and Palestininans and imminent invasion cast a shadow over the prospects of freeing more hostages despite experts’ insight that diplomacy would be the best course of action to secure the safety of those kidnapped by Hamas.

Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI official who led many hostage recovery teams, told The Post that while Israel should have plans for a military rescue operation, negotiations through Qatar are necessary.

“Israel should negotiate the release of the hostages as a priority while working to gather more intelligence,” he said.

He also warned that the Jewish country’s repeated airstrikes could have laid the groundwork for a more difficult assault into Gaza.

“The airstrikes can lead to more destroyed structures, which will make it difficult to operate in Gaza and locate the hostages,” he warned. “There’s also the chance the hostages can be wounded or killed as a result.”

Along with the US, other nations have called on Israel to avoid an immediate invasion, as nearly 40 countries have citizens who were kidnapped by Hamas.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly “called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military,” according to the BBC — saying that an expansion of the conflict “is exactly what Hamas wants.”

The international implications are only growing.

Israeli military said Sunday that it mistakenly hit an Egyptian border position near the Gaza border. Egypt’s military said one of its border watchtowers was struck and that one person suffered minor injuries.

“The incident is being investigated and the details are under review,” Israel wrote on X. “The IDF regrets the incident.”

Meanwhile, up to six Chinese warships have been operating in the Middle East over the past week, said the Chinese defense ministry website, according to the South China Morning Post last week.

-With Post Wire Services