Biden nudges Netanyahu on Gaza cease-fire

What happened

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, urging him to bring the Gaza "cease-fire and hostage release deal to closure," the White House said. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, was also on the call. Thousands of protesters against Israel's Gaza war marched outside the DNC for a third day; dozens were arrested Tuesday.

Who said what

"A Gaza cease-fire deal is tantalizingly close," David Ignatius said at The Washington Post, but U.S. and Israeli officials say "Hamas has been silent" on the proposal to bridge differences between the two sides and "Netanyahu has been slow-walking the negotiations." Netanyahu's office said "Israel will insist" on achieving "all of its objectives for the war," including "securing" the Gaza-Egypt border with Israeli forces — a nonstarter for Hamas.

What next?

U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators are "planning to gather Thursday in Cairo to discuss how to increase pressure on Hamas," Ignatius said. There is also "skepticism, along with fatigue, among many in Israel about Netanyahu's commitment to securing an agreement," The Associated Press said. Arab officials told The Times of Israel there's "no point" to this week's talks unless the "U.S. pressures Netanyahu to back off his new demands" to keep troops in Gaza indefinitely.

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