US says Gaza truce agreement ‘possible’ within days as Israel ramps up attacks

On Monday, outgoing US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire was within reach after more than a year of carnage.

“In the war between Israel and Hamas, we’re on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” Biden said in a foreign policy address.

“I have learned in many years of public service, to never, never, never ever give up,” he added.

“We’re pressing hard to close this.”

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said during a news conference earlier in the day that a deal may be possible within days.

But, he added, such an agreement is not guaranteed.

“We are close to a deal, and it can get done this week. I’m not making a promise or a prediction, but it is there for the taking, and we are able to work to make it happen,” Sullivan said.

He also confirmed that Biden had recently spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about the negotiations.

The outgoing US president will also soon speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“We are now at a pivotal point in the negotiations for a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza,” Sullivan said.

Ceasefire talks mediated by the US along with Qatar and Egypt are ongoing at advanced stages in Doha, where top Israeli negotiators like the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies are expected to stay for another day.

Hamas also said the talks have made some progress over some of the contentious issues that have been discussed many times over 15 months of a war that has killed more than 46,500 Palestinians in Gaza.

“The negotiation over some core issues made progress, and we are working to conclude what remains soon,” an official with the Palestinian group told the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.

Officials said a final draft of the agreement, which includes an exchange of captives in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, was presented to all sides after the latest discussions in the Qatari capital yielded results.

Netanyahu and Biden held a phone call on Sunday, discussing the latest developments, with Biden again saying the time for an agreement is now.

US President-elect Donald Trump and his top officials have repeatedly threatened that there will be “hell to pay” if the captives are not released or there is no agreement by the time Trump takes office on January 20.

“It’s very clear that President Trump threatening Hamas and making it clear that there is going to be hell to pay is part of the reason why we’ve made progress on getting some hostages out,” Vice President-elect JD Vance stated.

Trump has also stated in a phone interview with the US-based Newsmax network that a Gaza ceasefire deal is very close and could be realised by the end of this week.

“We are very close to getting it done,” Trump said on a segment with the network’s Rob Schmitt Tonight show, when asked about the continuing negotiations.

“They have to do get it done, and if they don’t get it done, it’s going to be a lot of trouble out there, like they have never seen it before.”

“I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished, maybe by the end of the week,” Trump added.

Netanyahu is also facing internal pressure from far-right members of his governing coalition, who have been threatening to leave if a deal is reached – even though Netanyahu has stressed that Israel will hold military control over Gaza regardless of any deal.

The Israeli military has been launching relentless waves of heavy air attacks and artillery shelling across the Gaza Strip as talks of a potential agreement have heated up.

The humanitarian situation remains dire in Gaza as the Israeli military continues to block most aid from getting in and starving the population, roughly half of which is made up of children.