Joe Biden asked the Middle East parties to refrain from disrupting ongoing negotiations over the Israel war on Gaza as the ceasefire deal is ‘closer.
According to Al Jazeera, the US president told reporters on Friday, August 16 that ‘we are not there yet’ but the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is ‘much, much, closer’ than ever before.
Biden said, “As of an hour ago, we're still in play. I'm optimistic. It's still far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think we've got a shot.”
He warned the Middle Eastern parties, Lebanon and Iran not to ‘undermine’ the ongoing negotiations until they reach an agreement of releasing hostages.
Biden's warning came as the tension in the region increased recently, especially after the killing of Hamas chief and Hezbollah leaders.
Moreover, the 81-year-old in a separate statement announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel to the Middle East to give negotiations a diplomatic push as the new ceasefire negotiations in the Qatari capital paused on Friday, expected to resume next week in Cairo.
The negotiations mediators, Qatar, Egypt, and the US in a joint statement on Friday said, “The path is now set for that outcome, saving lives, bringing relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalating regional tensions.”
Additionally, a senior US official told Reuters that they have made a lot of progress on numerous issues and are hopeful that the latest diplomatic efforts will end 10 months of violence.
