“We are closer than we’ve ever been,” U.S. President Joe Biden said at an event in the Oval Office of the White House, when asked whether a Gaza ceasefire deal has been reached.
“We’re not there yet. But we’re much, much closer than it was three days ago. So keep your fingers crossed,” Biden said.
A joint statement from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar released on Friday said that “over the last 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive talks as mediators aiming to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees.”
“Working teams will continue technical work over the coming days on the details of implementation, including arrangements to implement the agreement’s extensive humanitarian provisions, as well as specifics relating to hostages and detainees,” the statement said.
“Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today,” it added.
Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said Friday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Saturday.
Blinken will travel to Israel “to continue intensive diplomatic efforts to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees through the bridging proposal presented today by the United States, with support from Egypt and Qatar,” Patel said in a statement.