President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss ongoing ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
During the phone call, the two discussed a release deal first talked about in May of last year, according to White House officials. That deal was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council.
“The President discussed the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region,” the White House reported in a statement.
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The Biden administration, Egypt and Qatar have been attempting to reach a compromise for the last year in efforts to secure a release for the captured hostages and end the war between Israel and Hamas.
There has been a firm divide in the negotiations and Hamas has said it won’t release the captives without a clear end to the war, while Netanyahu has said he will continue until “total victory” over the militant group.
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Biden has stressed the immediate need for the ceasefire and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu has said he is only committed to the first phase with a partial hostage release in exchange for a week-long halt in the fight. Hamas is demanding a full withdrawal and a complete end to the fighting.
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During the call, Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support of Israel and America’s support for Israel’s security and national defense.
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