President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source familiar with the matter said, as U.S. officials step up efforts to reach an agreement on the release of 98 hostages and a Gaza ceasefire before Mr. Biden leaves. from office, on January 20.
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that Mr. Netanyahu briefed Mr. Biden on the progress in the talks, as well as the mandate he has given to a high-level delegation located in Doha, Qatar, with the aim of advancing towards reaching an agreement.
President Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN earlier Sunday that the two sides were "very, very close" to reaching an agreement.
He said Mr. Biden was being kept updated on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials said as of Thursday that some progress had been made in indirect talks between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
" We are still determined to use every day in our office to reach an agreement and we will not let this matter go by any means ," Mr. Sullivan said.
He added that there was still a chance to reach a deal before Mr. Biden leaves office, but he said there was also the possibility that "Hamas, in particular, would not agree to the terms of the deal."
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters attacked the Jewish state in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and injuring more than 250 others.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, according to Palestinian health officials.
Vice President-elect JD Vance told Fox News that he expects a deal to release American hostages in the Middle East to be announced in the final days of the Biden administration, up to two days in advance.
President-elect Donald Trump has strongly supported Mr. Netanyahu's objective to destroy Hamas. He has promised to bring peace to the Middle East, but has not given details on how he would achieve this goal./VOA (A2 Televizion)
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