What to know about the Israel and Hamas Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks
NPRWhat to know about the Israel and Hamas Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks toggle caption Abdel Kareem Hana/AP TEL AVIV, Israel — Something unusual is happening in U.S. diplomacy: the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration are working together toward the common goal of a breakthrough in the Middle East before President Biden leaves office. The aim is to have a signed deal or a "declaration of principles" by Israel and Hamas — a commitment locking the sides into a pathway toward a ceasefire deal — by President Trump's inauguration day, Jan. 20, according to an official with knowledge of the talks, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Sponsor Message What officials are saying President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Sunday that there is an "immediate" need for a deal. Israel's top security chiefs traveled to Qatar this weekend, and the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross — the group that facilitated the last hostage-prisoner exchange in November 2023, a month into the war — is visiting Israel and Gaza, meeting officials in anticipation of a new deal.