Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Israel and Hamas move closer to cease-fire
The talks comes as negotiations had stalled over the last few months between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden spoke on the phone Thursday and reviewed a Wednesday response from the Palestinian militant group Hamas to the latest Israeli peace proposal, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official told reporters that Hamas has moved closer toward accepting a multi-phase ceasefire deal with Israel that over time aims to see hostages released, fighting stopped and rebuilding begin in the territory.
The official acknowledged that the response “does not mean this deal is going to be closed in a period of days,” but added that outstanding issues for a final agreement mostly center on implementation. They also said that the White House believes “there’s a pretty significant opening here.”
The breakthrough comes as negotiations had stalled over the last few months between Israel and Hamas over the release of the remaining surviving hostages taken during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and a lasting cease-fire ending fighting in the Gaza Strip.
A deal has remained elusive for months, as the Biden administration has pushed regional brokers Egypt and Qatar to add pressure on Hamas and secure commitments needed for a deal. Biden had also called on the Israeli government to move forward with a deal, arguing Hamas now poses a much smaller threat to Israel’s security.
At the core of the diplomatic impasse — Hamas wants Israel to completely and immediately withdraw its military from the Gaza Strip, while Israel wants a deal that will allow it to resume military operations against Hamas in the future.
But the White House signaled earlier this month that the two sides were closer than ever to reaching a cease-fire deal that would end hostilities in the Gaza Strip and lead to the release of the remaining hostages. On June 26, a senior administration official told reporters that “we’re close to a deal” and that talks were “down to specific paragraphs.”