Top US officials were in the Middle East, where they called for stability in Syria and an end to Israel's 14-month war in the Gaza Strip, in a final diplomatic push by the outgoing President Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on securing a peaceful transition of power in Syria after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in an effort to reach a ceasefire with Hamas militants.
Reaching a ceasefire deal would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a tumultuous tenure in which his administration has been unable to contain the brutal war in the Gaza Strip that has killed tens of thousands of people. and has plunged this territory into a humanitarian crisis.
President-elect Donald Trump has demanded the immediate release of the hostages, threatening on social media that otherwise the militants would "pay a big price" and calling on the United States not to get involved in the war in Syria, where about 900 are US troops to fight the Islamic State militant group.
Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Sullivan expressed optimism that conditions were ripe for stopping the long conflict before the Biden administration leaves office.
"I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't think this would be possible until after January 20," he said of the day President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The war began after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. Israel says 100 hostages continue to be held in Gaza. Seven are believed to be US citizens. About 45,000 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel's offensive is among the bloodiest and most destructive campaigns since World War II. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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