The Wall Street Journal revealed that US President Joe Biden, who finds himself politically besieged due to some Democrats’ demands for him to step down, has put intense pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, “and he told the Israeli leader in a phone call on Thursday that the time has come to save the lives of the hostages held by Hamas.

Biden discussed with Netanyahu a draft agreement that reflects important changes on the part of Hamas that enhance the chances of reaching an agreement, according to a senior official in the Biden administration.

“We will do everything we can to close this matter,” the official said.

Experts believe that the current moment represents a pivotal moment for Biden, who is trying to prove that he is still qualified for his position as president after a disastrous performance in the debate last week, which prompted his political allies to doubt his ability to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming November 5 elections.

Biden publicly pressed for a ceasefire agreement from the White House in late May, and again during the phone discussion with Netanyahu. If accomplished, the agreement to stop the war would represent a major political victory for President Biden.

Negotiations on a ceasefire reached a dead end at the end of last May, but hopes revived this week after Hamas presented new proposals regarding a proposal indicating readiness to reach a settlement. The senior administration official said it was a "breakthrough in a critical impasse."

According to the Wall Street Journal: “The main change here is that Hamas is no longer demanding a full Israeli withdrawal during the first phase of the deal, which may involve the release of some hostages in Gaza during a six-week ceasefire, with a senior Israeli official saying that the proposals The new Hamas, which was delivered on Wednesday (3/7/24), has enough changes to ensure the talks go ahead.”

According to all media sources, Netanyahu told Biden that he would send a delegation to continue negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas. “But in an indication of how far the two sides are from reaching an agreement, the Israeli leader said that he would only end the war when Israel achieves all of its goals, according to a summary The conversation is from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. These goals include the destruction of Hamas in addition to the return of the hostages, according to the newspaper.

The senior American official said that Hamas' softening of its negotiating position represents an opportunity. He said: "It is time to close this because the lives of the hostages are at stake, and of course, this deal that we believe is structured in a way that fully protects Israel's interests."

As the devastating Israeli war on Gaza continues, tensions have risen on Israel's northern border after Hezbollah launched one of its largest missile attacks in months.

The Iran-backed party said it fired more than 200 missiles at northern Israel on Thursday, this time in retaliation for Israel's killing of a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday. The Israeli army said that it intercepted several projectiles, but the falling fragments ignited fires in a number of areas in the north, with sirens sounding for hours.

The killing of Muhammad Niamat Nasser and other senior Hezbollah leaders in recent months has intensified Hezbollah attacks and raised fears that the Israeli war on Gaza could spill over into a broader conflict that could attract the United States, Iran and Tehran's network of militia allies in the region. . Hezbollah's projectile barrage also included attack drones targeting military bases in northern Israel. “The Israeli army said that Nasser was responsible for directing terrorist attacks in Israel,” according to the newspaper.

Bloomberg says: “In the call with Netanyahu, Biden said he remains committed to Israel’s security, including regarding threats posed by Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah, the White House said after their conversation on Thursday. The United States considers Hezbollah and Hamas Two terrorist organizations.

Experts acknowledge that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza could be the most effective way to avoid a broader conflagration in the region.

The US official said that ceasefire talks in Doha begin on Friday. Biden intends to talk to European leaders about the agreement at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit next week in Washington.

Israel and Hamas confirmed this week that talks on a ceasefire agreement had resumed. Hamas said on Wednesday that its political head, Ismail Haniyeh, recently informed mediators in Qatar and Egypt of ideas for reaching an agreement. The Israeli intelligence service Mossad said that its negotiators are evaluating Hamas's statements.

The official stressed that negotiations with Hamas will remain difficult, and will likely require several weeks to reach any agreement before the first phase begins.

Of the approximately 250 hostages taken in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 116 remain in Gaza, including at least 42 whose deaths Israel has confirmed. The number includes eight American hostages, some of whom died.

The newspaper notes, “As Israel prepares to reduce major combat operations in Gaza, the state is increasingly turning its attention toward the northern border. Hezbollah has been exchanging attacks with Israel since October 7, and in recent weeks, the two sides have exchanged fire deeper and more forcefully within their territories.” Hezbollah said that its attacks come in support of the Palestinians and that it will not stop until Israel ends its war in Gaza.