President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, urging progress on a ceasefire deal in Gaza as the United States continues to push for an agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to the Associated Press.
The call, which Vice President Kamala Harris also joined, focused on a "bridging proposal" to facilitate a ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, significant challenges remain, with both Hamas and Israel signaling ongoing differences over key issues, including the presence of Israeli troops in strategic areas of Gaza.
"[Biden] stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure," the White House said in a statement. The leaders also discussed using high-level talks in Cairo this week to address "remaining obstacles" to an agreement.
Biden 'stressed the urgency' of Gaza deal in call with Netanyahu, White House says pic.twitter.com/4LxyulqhK1
— Danny Kemp (@dannyctkemp) August 21, 2024
Despite earlier optimism expressed by Biden following conversations with Qatar's emir and Egypt's president, hopes for an imminent deal appear to be fading. On Tuesday, Biden noted that "Hamas was now backing off," but affirmed that the US would "keep pushing" for a ceasefire agreement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently met with officials in Israel, Egypt, and Qatar, emphasized the critical nature of the current negotiations. "This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security," Blinken said after meeting with Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv on Monday.
However, Egyptian officials, speaking anonymously to AP, revealed that Hamas has reservations about the proposal. The plan requires Hamas to release the most vulnerable civilian hostages in the first phase, with subsequent phases to be negotiated without "guarantees" from Israel or mediators.
A key point of contention is the status of Israeli forces in Gaza. The proposal does not clearly state that Israel will withdraw its troops from two strategic corridors in Gaza – the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory. Hamas is seeking a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor. Netanyahu reportedly told right-wing groups of families of fallen soldiers and hostages that Israel will not abandon these strategic corridors in Gaza.
The White House statement also noted that Biden and Netanyahu discussed escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as with groups backed by Tehran, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
