Ibrahim Khazen
14 January 2025•Update: 15 January 2025
CAIRO
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Joe Biden emphasized Tuesday the importance of overcoming obstacles and showing flexibility to secure a cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
The remarks were made during a phone call between the two leaders, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The discussion focused on mediation efforts led by Egypt, the US, and Qatar to broker a cease-fire and facilitate a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.
The two presidents reviewed the latest developments in the negotiations and highlighted the need for all parties to work toward removing obstacles and demonstrating the flexibility necessary to finalize the agreement.
Sisi underscored the urgency of reaching an immediate cease-fire to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He called for the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and warned against the potential repercussions of escalating the conflict further.
'Urgent need for a deal'
According to a statement by the White House, Biden praised Sisi's role in the cease-fire process and said that the "deal would never have been possible without Egypt’s essential and historic role in the Middle East and commitment to diplomacy for resolving conflicts."
Both leaders stressed "the urgent need for a deal to be implemented to bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza."
Biden and Sisi also reaffirmed their commitment to ensure the deal's success and pledged to maintain close coordination.
Qatari involvement has also been pivotal, with Doha hosting indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. On Monday, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed joint mediation efforts with President Biden in a phone call.
Earlier, Hamas said that a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement is in “its final stages.”
Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire negotiations are in their “final details” and that announcing an agreement is “imminent.”
Palestinian sources earlier said that a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal is “nearly ready” and could be signed by Friday.
Israeli media also reported substantial advancements in the talks, which have been ongoing for weeks despite persistent challenges.
Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza. Hamas said that many Israeli captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
The prisoner swap and cease-fire talks, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US, have been interrupted several times due to new conditions imposed by Netanyahu.
The Israeli opposition and families of captives accuse him of obstructing efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Israel has continued its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 46,600 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
*Merve Aydogan in Canada contributed to the story
