US President Biden says Gaza ceasefire 'much, much closer'

Washington [US], August 18: United States President Joe Biden has said that a Gaza ceasefire deal is now in sight and warned parties in the Middle East to not undermine the ongoing negotiations to reach an agreement that would see the release of captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Biden told reporters on Friday that a deal was "much, much closer" than before the talks began, but he also cautioned that "we're not there yet".
"There's a couple more issues. I think we've got a shot," he said.
Previous efforts by the Biden administration to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza have failed and criticism of the president has surged as Washington appears unwilling to use leverage with its key ally Israel.
In a separate statement, Biden announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be travelling to the Middle East starting on Saturday to continue the diplomatic push. Biden also said that he spoke with Qatar's and Egyptian leaders, who he said expressed strong support for the US efforts.
In the Qatari capital, Doha, where Qatari, Egyptian and US negotiation mediators are trying to hammer out a deal on Gaza, ceasefire talks were paused on Friday, but are expected to resume next week with the hope of concluding an agreement in Cairo.
"The path is now set for that outcome, saving lives, bringing relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalating regional tensions," Qatar, Egypt and the US said in a joint statement on Friday.
A senior US official has described the latest diplomatic efforts to end the 10-month violence as the most productive in months.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said that there is a "consensus" by all of the participants over the past 48 hours "that there's really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion". (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune