Biden says Gaza ceasefire in sight, warns against efforts to undermine deal
Al Jazeera
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East to continue diplomatic push for ceasefire deal.
United States President Joe Biden has said that a Gaza ceasefire deal is now in sight and warned parties in the Middle East to not undermine the ongoing negotiations to reach an agreement that would see the release of captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Biden told reporters on Friday that a deal was “much, much closer” than before the talks began, but he also cautioned that “we’re not there yet”.
“There’s a couple more issues. I think we’ve got a shot,” he said.
Previous efforts by the Biden administration to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza have failed and criticism of the president has surged as Washington appears unwilling to use leverage with its key ally Israel.
In a separate statement, Biden announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be travelling to the Middle East starting on Saturday to continue the diplomatic push.
