Biden likely to talk with Netanyahu; hostage deal 'very close': Security adviser

U.S. President Joe Biden will likely talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon, his national security adviser said on Sunday, as U.S. officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.

Jake Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program that the parties were "very, very close" to reaching a deal to halt the fighting in the enclave and free the remaining 98 hostages held there, but still had to get it across the finish line.

Biden was getting daily updates on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas, Sullivan said.

"We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done," he said, adding that Biden "is likely, in the near term, to engage with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside."

He said there was still a chance to reach an agreement before Biden leaves office, but that it was also possible "Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent."



Reuters