Mon Jan 13 06:12:41 UTC 2025: ## Biden Urges Immediate Gaza Ceasefire in Call with Netanyahu Amidst Mounting Casualties

**Doha, Qatar/Washington D.C.** – President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during a Sunday phone call, emphasizing the urgent need for a truce and the return of Israeli hostages held in the Palestinian enclave. The call comes as intense negotiations, mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, continue in Doha, with the situation described as “very, very close” to a deal, yet still far from finalized.

Over 100 days into Israel’s siege of northern Gaza, the death toll has surpassed 5,000, with thousands more missing, according to medical sources in Gaza. The overall Palestinian death toll since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023 is well over 46,000. These staggering figures, coupled with the displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population, paint a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis.

The ongoing talks in Doha involve high-level officials, including Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea and Biden’s top Middle East advisor Brett McGurk. While a draft agreement is being finalized, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan cautioned against predicting a deal before President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.

The proposed deal reportedly builds upon a phased ceasefire framework suggested last May, endorsed by the UN Security Council. This plan involves a staged release of hostages in exchange for a temporary halt to fighting. However, significant hurdles remain. Hamas demands a complete Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, a condition Netanyahu, focused on dismantling Hamas’s capabilities, is yet to accept. Disagreements persist over the number and identity of prisoners to be released in the initial phase.

Internal disagreements within Netanyahu’s coalition also threaten to derail any agreement, with members of the far-right expressing opposition to a ceasefire. Al Jazeera reports that the Israeli negotiating team remains in Doha to finalize details, highlighting the ongoing tension and uncertainty surrounding the negotiations. The relentless bombardment of Gaza continues, casting a long shadow over the fragile peace talks.

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