Joe Biden to launch Gaza ceasefire push, Hamas ‘ready for truce’

As a fragile truce begins between Israel and Hezbollah, Joe Biden will renew efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza as Hamas said it was ‘committed to co-operating’ with peace efforts.

US President Joe Biden crosses his fingers as he answers a question about a Gaza ceasefire at the White House. Picture: AFP.

US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal after Israel and Hezbollah began a truce in Lebanon, his national security adviser said.

Jake Sullivan said Hamas faces increased pressure to cut a deal now that Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement is no longer fighting in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group.

For its part, Hamas signalled it was “committed to co-operating” with efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

“We are committed to co-operating with any effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and we are interested in ending the aggression against our people,” the terror group said in a statement.

“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a Hamas official told AFP.

Mr Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the US- and French-brokered truce with Hezbollah was announced Tuesday and they agreed to try again for an elusive Gaza truce, Mr Sullivan said.

“President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region,” Mr Sullivan told MSNBC.

“We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel’s security is assured and US interests are secured,” he added.

The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a rare boost for Mr Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20.

Mr Biden said on X on Wednesday that “over the coming days the United States will make another push” for a Gaza deal, echoing comments he made in his announcement Tuesday.

The outgoing US leader said the aim was to “achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power.”

Mr Biden said on Tuesday that Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“Peace is possible,” Mr Biden said in his speech at the White House. “As long as that is the case, I will not for a single moment stop working to achieve it.”

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who was closely involved in the negotiations for the Israel-Hezbollah deal, said it created an opportunity for a similar agreement in Gaza.

“We firmly believe that the Lebanon deal now opens that door,” Mr Hochstein said in a briefing with the US Jewish community on Wednesday.

After the truce with Hezbollah, Israel was now fighting a “one-front war”, he said.

“There’s no cavalry coming from the north anymore for Hamas. So this is a moment where Hamas needs to take the step to come to the table,” he added.

Mr Biden’s administration was also “in touch” with the incoming Trump team on the issue, he said.