Gaza ceasefire deal unlikely in Biden's term, WSJ reports

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials now believe that a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas is not expected before the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The newspaper cited top-level officials in the White House, State Department and Pentagon without naming them. Those bodies did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said two weeks ago that 90% of a ceasefire deal had been agreed upon while Vice President Kamala Harris has repeatedly said Washington has been working "around the clock" to get to an agreement.

The United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt have for months made attempts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas but have failed to arrive at a final agreement.

Negotiations have been ongoing to clear two obstacles: Israel's demand to keep its forces in the Philadelphi corridor to maintain a buffer between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics of an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31 that he said at the time Israel had agreed to. The deal has run into obstacles and officials have for weeks said a new proposal would soon be presented.

Critics and human rights groups have also urged Washington to use its leverage by conditioning military support to Israel but the U.S. has maintained its support for its ally. — Reuters