Sunday shows preview: US hails Israel-Hamas cease-fire; ‘vast differences’ remain between Biden, GOP on infrastructure

A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, as well as President Biden’s newest offer on infrastructure to Republicans are expected to dominate this week’s Sunday talk shows.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire on Thursday, ending 11 days of some of the worst violence the region has seen since 2014. The agreement took effect at roughly 2 a.m. local time on Friday (7 p.m. ET on Thursday).

Hamas had fired thousands of rockets into Israel since May 10, striking a number of cities in southern and central Israel. Israel responded with a campaign of its own that devastated Gaza’s infrastructure.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said via Twitter on Friday that 248 Palestinians had been killed as a result of the airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and that 1,948 had been injured.

About a dozen Israelis were killed as a result of the fire from Hamas.

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”

Biden hailed the cease-fire agreement on Thursday and pledged that Washington would continue diplomatic efforts in the region.

The president has repeatedly affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, but some progressives have accused Biden of not doing enough to protect the rights of Palestinians.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who will appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” this weekend, sought to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel amid the airstrikes. His effort was mirrored in the House, where it was led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts. He will appear on ABC’s “This Week.”

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Biden continues his pursuit of a bipartisan deal on infrastructure, seeking to come to an agreement with Republicans. 

The White House presented Senate Republicans with a $1.7 trillion counteroffer on their infrastructure plan, a $550 billion decrease from his $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan. The counterproposal offers a reduction in funding for broadband expansion to $65 billion, matching an offer from Republicans, according to a memo obtained by The Hill.

The measure also reduced investments in roads, bridges and other major infrastructure proposals from $159 billion to $120 billion.

After viewing the offer from the White House, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), one of the negotiators for the GOP, said “vast differences” remain between the parties. 

White House senior staff held a call on Friday about the package with Capito, along with Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Blunt will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”

But Kelley Moore, a spokeswoman for Capito, said there continued to be “vast differences between the White House and Senate Republicans when it comes to the definition of infrastructure, the magnitude of proposed spending.”

“Based on today’s meeting, the groups seem further apart after two meetings with White House staff than they were after one meeting with President Biden,” Moore said. 

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows.

ABC’s “This Week” — Blinken; Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — To be announced.

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — Sanders; former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who led a review of Capitol security after the Jan. 6 riot; Katherine Rowe, president of William & Mary.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — White House adviser Cedric Richmond; Reps. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) and Lucy McBath (D-Ga.); Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.); former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

“Fox News Sunday” — Blunt, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.); Regev.

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R); John Ratcliffe, former director of national intelligence; Sen Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee; Jamie Metzl, expert adviser to the World Health Organization and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.