US President Joe Biden on Friday said again that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the ceasefire and hostage release deal he had outlined in May.
In a post on social media site X, Biden reiterated his determination to implement the proposal.
“Six weeks ago I laid out a comprehensive framework for how to achieve a ceasefire and bring the hostages home,” wrote Biden.
“There is still work to do and these are complex issues, but that framework is now agreed to by both Israel and Hamas. My team is making progress and I'm determined to get this done,” he added.
Biden made similar comments at a news conference on Thursday night, telling reporters that gaps remain between Hamas and Israel on a ceasefire and hostage release deal, but "the trend is positive".
Biden added that he would be sending a team to "hammer out the details."
He noted that he was determined to bring about an end to the Israel-Hamas war, which he added "should end now."
“I told Israel not to make the same mistake we did in Iraq and Afghanistan. I told them that we would help them find the bad guys - led by [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar. We have a chance now. The war can be ended. This does not mean that we will no longer pursue Sinwar and Hamas,” said Biden.
He also reiterated his past stance that “Israel should not occupy Gaza” once the war against Hamas ends.
Biden’s comments came as Israel and Hamas continue indirect negotiations on a hostage release deal. On Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office issued an update in which it said that “the negotiating team returned last night from a four-way summit with the mediators in Doha. Discussed at the meeting were the clauses of the deal on returning the hostages and ways to implement the outline, while ensuring all the objectives of the war.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held meetings with the negotiating team on Thursday morning, the statement said.
It added that a delegation led by Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Ronen Bar, together with IDF representatives, is due to leave for Cairo for the continuation of the talks.
Earlier, a senior US official claimed that agreements had been reached regarding the framework of the deal for the release of hostages and the ceasefire, and the discussions are now focusing on the details that will allow its implementation.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)