Biden sees Hamas as ‘only obstacle’ to Gaza deal, White House says
Al Jazeera
US President Joe Biden ‘confirmed Israel’s readiness to move forward’ in call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
US President Joe Biden has told Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Hamas is the only obstacle to a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel, and urged him to press the group to accept it.
Biden “affirmed that Hamas is now the only obstacle to a complete ceasefire” and “confirmed Israel’s readiness to move forward” with the terms he set out last week, the White House said in a readout of a call between the two leaders on Monday.
The Qatari Amiri Diwan confirmed that Sheikh Tamim received a call from the US president “to discuss efforts towards reaching a permanent Gaza ceasefire”, it said in a statement.
It added that the two leaders discussed “developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories”.
Qatar has played a key role in mediating indirect negations between Hamas and Israel, along with Egypt and the United States.
