On Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden was asked by reporters if he planned to have a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu regarding a potential ceasefire and a deal for releasing hostages in Gaza before the end of his term. Biden responded, “I spoke with him and we’ll speak again,” but did not elaborate further on the specifics of the conversation.

It remains uncertain whether Biden was referring to a recent phone call with Netanyahu, which has yet to be publicly acknowledged.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Reuters news agency reported that Netanyahu was traveling to Cairo in what could have been a significant development regarding the ceasefire and hostage negotiations. However, the Prime Minister’s Office quickly refuted the claim, stating, “Contrary to the wave of rumors – Prime Minister Netanyahu is not in Cairo.”

A Hamas official had told The Washington Post that the group had abandoned its demand for an immediate end to the conflict and for the total withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip. The official claimed that the current proposal under discussion involves a 60-day ceasefire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for the release of imprisoned terrorists in Israel.

On Monday, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz shared with the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel was “closer than ever” to finalizing an agreement with Hamas. Katz emphasized that the deal would be implemented in phases, adding, “The Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor will not be an obstacle to implementing a deal. There is flexibility from the other side on these issues.”

{Matzav.com Israel}