Biden to launch Gaza ceasefire drive right away – adviser

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, now that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a truce in Lebanon, his national security adviser said.

The truce that began before dawn Wednesday in the south Lebanon war means Iran-backed Hizbollah is no longer fighting in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. That will increase pressure on the militant Palestinian group to agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal, Jake Suillivan told MSNBC.

Biden spoke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the US- and French-brokered truce with Hizbollah was announced Tuesday and they agreed to try again for a Gaza agreement that has eluded negotiators for months, 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," Sullivan said.

"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 Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20. 

As he announced the agreement Tuesday, Biden said the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Israel would make another push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still at war with Hamas following the Palestinian group's deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Biden said Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a senior official in the Palestinian Islamist group said Wednesday, hailing the ceasefire that took hold in Lebanon.

"We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners," the official told AFP, however accusing Israel of obstructing a deal.

In a statement released later Wednesday, Hamas said "the enemy's acceptance of the agreement with Lebanon without achieving its preconditions marks a significant milestone in shattering [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's illusions of reshaping the Middle East through force".

The group also praised the "pivotal" role of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority expressed hope that the ceasefire would bring stability to the region, especially in war-torn Gaza.

"We hope that this step will contribute to stopping the violence and instability that the region is suffering from," the Palestinian presidency said in a statement, highlighting the need to enforce a UN resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.