Washington, 13 January (H.S.): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday to discuss ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage situation. The two leaders connected via a phone call, with Biden receiving updates from Netanyahu on the progress of ceasefire talks being mediated in Doha. These talks, which have been ongoing for the past year with involvement from the US, Egypt, and Qatar, have repeatedly stalled at crucial moments. Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, stated that US envoy Brett McGurk has been working on final details of a text to be presented to both sides.
However, it is uncertain if a deal will be reached before January 20, when Biden’s term ends. Both Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence agency and Biden’s top Mideast advisor were in Doha for discussions and negotiations.
The talks have focused on issues such as which hostages will be released in the first phase of a potential ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners will be released, and the extent of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. So far, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
While Netanyahu has signaled his commitment to a partial hostage release, he has also insisted on destroying Hamas’ ability to fight in Gaza. The current discussions revolve around a phased ceasefire plan, with the hope of reaching an agreement before Trump’s inauguration.
Hindusthan Samachar
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