President Joe Biden made calls to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday, urging progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release agreement for Gaza. The White House reported that these discussions aimed to resolve outstanding issues and bring the ceasefire talks to a conclusion.
Biden, currently on vacation in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, is closely monitoring the negotiations. The White House described the talks in Cairo as “constructive” and emphasized the need for all parties to collaborate on implementing the proposed deal.
A key point of contention remains Israel’s demand to maintain forces along the Philadelphi land corridor between Egypt and Gaza. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby indicated that CIA Director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk are involved in ongoing discussions. Kirby also stressed the importance of including Hamas in the negotiations, noting that discussions so far have not included their representatives.
Despite some reports suggesting the talks were near collapse, Kirby reassured that discussions are progressing and more talks are planned over the weekend.
