The White House reports that US President Joe Biden has had a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as US officials work to secure a ceasefire and hostage agreement in Gaza before Biden’s departure on January 20.
The White House stated in a statement following the two leaders’ phone conversation that Biden and Netanyahu talked about efforts to come to an agreement to stop the violence in the Palestinian enclave and liberate the remaining hostages there, according to Reuters.
With a spike in humanitarian aid made possible by a halt in violence under the agreement, Biden “emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages,” the statement read.
In a statement, Netanyahu gave Biden an update on the status of the negotiations and the directive he gave his top security delegation now in Doha to move forward with a hostage agreement.
Following the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, and the decline in Iran’s influence in the region, the two presidents also talked about “the fundamentally changed regional circumstances,” according to the White House.
According to the White House, Netanyahu also thanked Biden during their call for “the extraordinary support from the United States for Israel’s security and national defense” and for his lifetime support of Israel.
