- Joe Biden tells Netanyahu Gaza ceasefire deal is urgent
- Biden calls for removing “any remaining obstacles” blocking an agreement with Hamas
- Biden reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to helping Isarael defend itself
- New ceasefire talks will take place in Cairo this weekend
Joe Biden tells Netanyahu Gaza ceasefire deal is urgent
Washington, USA – In a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden stressed the “urgency” of reaching a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The White House said Vice President Kamala Harris joined the call in which the President stated the importance of removing “any remaining obstacles” blocking an agreement with Hamas.
Biden also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to helping Isarael defend itself against “all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.”
The call comes after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken ended his diplomatic tour of the Middle East, pushing for a deal that could end the war.
But Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Wednesday that Israel planned to keep troops in a strip of land across the border between Gaza and Egypt in the event of any such deal.
“Israel will insist on the achievement of all of its objectives for the war, as they have been defined by the security cabinet, including that Gaza never again constitutes a security threat to Israel. This requires securing the southern border,” a statement said.
The issue is a key sticking point – with Hamas insisting on a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
New ceasefire talks will take place in Cairo this weekend, with US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari representatives in attendance. Hamas will not attend but will receive updates.