Biden Pushes for Gaza Cease-fire Deal, Israel and Hamas Hold Firm on Demands

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urgently finalize a cease-fire deal in Gaza and secure the release of hostages, according to a White House statement. The call, which also involved Vice President Kamala Harris, came in the wake of continued violence, with Palestinian health officials reporting at least 50 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes in the previous 24 hours.

Biden emphasized the “urgency of bringing the cease-fire and hostage release deal to closure” and discussed the upcoming talks in Cairo aimed at resolving outstanding issues. Negotiators from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar are expected to meet in Cairo this weekend, having struggled for months to bridge the divide between Israel and Hamas.

However, both Israel and Hamas remained steadfast in their demands. Netanyahu’s office reiterated Israel’s commitment to achieving all its war objectives, including ensuring Gaza no longer poses a security threat. The Israeli government denied reports that it had agreed to drop its demand for troops to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, the contentious border area between Gaza and Egypt.

Meanwhile, Hamas officials, meeting with Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders, reinforced their key demands, including a complete end to Israel’s Gaza operations, a full Israeli withdrawal, and a deal to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.