Biden expected to meet top advisers to discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden is expected to meet with top advisers at the White House today to discuss efforts to get Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on a ceasefire deal, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

White House officials had talks earlier this morning about the state of the negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari officials, who have been serving as intermediaries with Hamas.

The person, who is not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, says that the US side is frustrated with Hamas’s demands for the release of more Hamas prisoners in the first stage of the deal after last week’s killing of six hostages. That demand is a non-starter for the Israeli-side, but the White House still has hope that Qatar can persuade Hamas to a more reasonable position on the hostage for prisoner swap.