President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss ongoing negotiations for an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages with Hamas.
During the call, the two leaders discussed a deal that builds on the arrangement Mr. Biden outlined last year, the White House said.
“The president discussed the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the weakening of Iranian power in the region,” the White House said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that the prime minister had updated Biden on the progress of the talks.
“The prime minister discussed with the US president the progress in negotiations for the release of our hostages and informed him of the mandate he has given to the negotiating team in Doha, with the aim of advancing the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The Biden administration has been pushing for a deal before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration that would see President-elect Donald Trump return to the White House.
Susan Walsh / AP
A sign of progress in the ongoing negotiations in Doha, Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday David Barnea, director of the foreign intelligence agency Mossad, would travel to Qatar. It was not immediately clear when Barnea would travel to Doha for the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the militant group Hamas. However, his presence means that senior Israeli officials who would sign off on any deal are now involved, the Associated Press reported.
The negotiations, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, have repeatedly stalled. In the first weeks of fighting, only one short ceasefire was achieved.
“(Mr. Biden) emphasized the urgent need for a cease-fire in Gaza and the return of hostages, along with an increase in humanitarian aid made possible by the cessation of hostilities under the agreement,” the White House said. “The prime minister thanked the president for his lifelong support of Israel and the extraordinary support from the United States for the security and national defense of Israel.”
Trump’s future special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, visited Qatar and Israel this week.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week that a deal was “very close” and that he hoped to finalize it before handing over diplomacy to the new Trump administration. But US officials have expressed similar optimism on several occasions over the past year.
Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip after declaring war on Hamas following deadly attacks by the group’s militants on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people. Another 251 were taken hostage.
Israeli bombing and ground invasion of Gaza killed over 46,000 Palestiniansmore than half are women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its counting.
