Israel-Hamas war: US President Biden and Israeli PM Netanyahu discuss ceasefire, hostage deal

US President Joe Biden and Israeli PM Netanyahu connected over a phone call as the head of Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Biden's top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk, were both in the Qatari capital Doha.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday to discuss ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage situation. Biden, who will leave office on January 20, connected with PM Netanyahu via a phone call and received updates regarding the current progress made in the ceasefire being mediated in Doha. Talks mediated over the past year by the US, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled at moments when they seemed close to a deal.

Mc Gurk working on final details

Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan told media McGurk has been working on final details of a text to be presented to both sides. However, he did not predict whether a deal can be reached by January 20, before Donald Trump's inauguration. 

Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Biden's top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk were in Doha to hold discussions and reach to an agreement. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is "very close" and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration.

Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory, but Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas' ability to fight in Gaza. Under discussion now is a phased ceasefire, with Netanyahu signalling he is committed only to the first phase, a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting.

Issues in the talks have included which hostages would be released in the first part of a phased ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners would be released and the extent of any Israeli troop withdrawal from population centres in Gaza.

Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, according to the territory's Health Ministry, whose count does not give a breakdown between fighters and civilians. Israel's campaign was triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others.

(With AP inputs)