Biden Calls Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Urges To Complete Ceasefire Deal In Gaza

JAKARTA - United States (US) President Joe Biden, in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the urgency of finalizing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Biden called the upcoming talks in Cairo important.

The US call follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to the Middle East ending on Tuesday without an agreement between Israel and Hamas militants over the ceasefire in Gaza Palestine.

Negotiators who have struggled for months to reach a ceasefire deal plan to meet in the coming days in Cairo.

"The president stressed the importance of ending the ceasefire and the deal to release hostages and discuss upcoming talks in Cairo to remove existing barriers," the White House said in a statement.

The statement said Biden and Netanyahu also discussed US efforts to support Israel against all threats from Iran, including the proxies terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi, including the ongoing deployment of US military defenses.

Iran previously vowed to retaliate for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, which Iran blamed Israel.

Israel did not confirm or deny they were behind the killings.

The United States has ordered guided-missile submarines to be deployed to the Middle East and ordered a group of Abraham Lincoln strikers to accelerate their deployment to the region to strengthen Israel's defenses.