Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday about efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Hamas. High-level talks are underway in Doha, Qatar, involving Israeli and U.S. officials. While a deal remains elusive, officials express optimism about reaching an agreement soon.
Israel i Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing conflict with Hamas . Talks mediated over the past year by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled at moments when they seemed close to a deal. Still, in recent days, U.S. officials have expressed hope of sealing an agreement.
Sunday’s call between Biden and Netanyahu came as the head of Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Biden’s top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk, were both in the Qatari capital Doha. Barnea’s presence, confirmed by Netanyahu’s office, meant high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved in talks. McGurk has been working on final details of a text to be presented to both sides, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN’s “State of the Union.” But he said he would not predict whether a deal can be reached by Jan. 20, the day of the inauguration. “We are very, very close,” he said. “Yet being very close still means we’re far because until you actually get across the finish line, we’re not there.” The White House and Netanyahu’s office both confirmed the phone call between the two leaders without providing details.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is “very close” and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration. Under discussion now is a phased ceasefire, with Netanyahu signaling he is committed only to the first phase, a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting. Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory, but Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas’ ability to fight in Gaza.Previous rounds of talks have included which hostages would be released in the first part of a phased ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners would be released and the extent of any Israeli troop withdrawal from population centers in Gaza. The Israeli bombardment, which began in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, has killed over 4,000 Palestinians, including the majority women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, whose count does not give a breakdown between fighters and civilians. Israel’s campaign was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others. still held in Gaza are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home. Israelis rallied again Saturday night in the city of Tel Aviv, with photos of hostages on display. In Gaza, Palestinians were tempering their hopes for a stop to Israel’s campaign, which has devastated much of the territory and driven more than 80% of its 2.3 million people from their homes. “We hear that there are negotiations every day, but we see nothing,” said Mazen Hammad, a resident of the southern city of Khan Younis. “When we see it on the ground, then we believe that there is a truce.
GAZA CEASEFIRE ISRAEL HAMAS NEYTANYAHU
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