On a Sunday in mid-January, with only eight days left in one presidency and a new one waiting at the door, Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone about a cease-fire and hostage release being negotiated in Doha. It is a familiar human pattern: two governments, one deadline, and a war now more than fifteen months old that has taken tens of thousands of lives on one side and left a hundred captives in uncertain hands on the other. Whether the deal closes before the transfer of power will say less about the text itself than about whether the parties can finally bear to stop.
Biden and Netanyahu Discuss Gaza Cease-Fire Progress as White House Races Against Trump Inauguration
The Gaza war has killed more than 46,565 Palestinians and wounded over 109,000, and 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, with fewer than 100 hostages still held.
Eight days left, and a deal that is possible but not predicted
Mark
Why does this phone call matter if the statements were so brief?
Mimi
Because it shows the two leaders are coordinating at the last stretch. Netanyahu told Biden what mandate he's given his team in Doha, and that's the part that bears directly on whether a deal can close.
Luke
But we only know what the two offices chose to say. Neither statement says what the mandate actually is.
Mark
Right. So what do we know about the deal itself?
Mimi
It's built on the three-phase plan Biden announced in late May, which the UN Security Council endorsed in June. The talks are in Doha.
Luke
Worth noting that the plan has existed for months and no deal has come. Sullivan says "very, very close," but that's his characterization, and he also said he couldn't predict success.
Mark
Why is January 20 such a hard line?
Mimi
That's when Trump takes office. Trump reportedly wants a hostage deal by then, and Netanyahu met his envoy Witkoff on Saturday.
Luke
"Reportedly" is carrying weight there. The report doesn't say what Trump has asked of anyone, or whether Witkoff's meeting shaped Israel's position.
Mark
And the human toll?
Mimi
Gaza officials count more than 46,565 Palestinians killed and over 109,000 wounded. In Israel, 1,200 were killed on October 7, and fewer than 100 of the 251 hostages remain held.
Luke
The Palestinian figures come from Gaza health officials, so they're attributed, not independently verified in this report. And whether Hamas agrees is still unknown.
El Pulso
- The clock is the tension: eight days remain before the White House changes hands on January 20, and every hour of talks is now measured against it.
- Israel has sent its intelligence chief to Doha, and Netanyahu met Trump's incoming Middle East envoy the same day, so the negotiating table is crowded with competing timelines.
- The three-phase plan Biden unveiled in May is being finalized as a single text, with Sullivan calling a deal 'very, very close' while warning that Hamas could still refuse.
- Gaza health officials report more than 46,565 killed and over 109,000 wounded, while fewer than 100 of the hostages taken on October 7 remain in captivity.
- The outcome hinges on one question: whether Hamas accepts the text once it is put in front of them, and whether that acceptance can come before January 20.
On a Sunday in mid-January, with only eight days left in one presidency and a new one waiting at the door, Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone about a cease-fire and hostage release being negotiated in Doha. It is a familiar human pattern: two governments, one deadline, and a war now more than fifteen months old that has taken tens of thousands of lives on one side and left a hundred captives in uncertain hands on the other. Whether the deal closes before the transfer of power will say less about the text itself than about whether the parties can finally bear to stop.
On Sunday, January 12, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone, with eight days left before Donald Trump's inauguration. The White House is still trying to close a cease-fire and hostage release agreement before Biden leaves office on January 20.
The talks are taking place in Doha, Qatar, and build on the three-phase plan Biden unveiled in late May, which the UN Security Council endorsed in June. Both offices described the call in similar terms. Biden pressed for an immediate cease-fire, the return of the hostages, and the humanitarian aid a halt in fighting would allow. Netanyahu updated him on the mandate Israel's negotiators had been given in Doha.
The call followed a busy Saturday. Israel sent its intelligence chief to the talks, and Netanyahu met Steve Witkoff, Trump's incoming Middle East envoy. Trump reportedly wants a deal in place when he takes office, so the outgoing and incoming administrations are working toward the same deadline.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN the parties were "very, very close," though nothing was certain. The final text is being prepared for presentation to both Hamas and Israel. He said a deal could come before the 20th but could not predict it, and acknowledged that Hamas has been intransigent before.
Behind the diplomacy is a grim toll. Gaza health officials say more than 46,565 Palestinians have been killed and over 109,000 wounded. The war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. Fewer than 100 hostages remain in captivity.
The question now is whether Hamas accepts the text, and whether an agreement can be completed before power changes hands.
On Sunday, January 12, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone, according to statements from both of their offices. The call came with eight days left before Donald Trump's inauguration, and with the White House still trying to close a cease-fire and hostage release agreement before it hands over power on January 20.
The deal is being negotiated in Doha, the capital of Qatar. It rests on the three-phase cease-fire plan Biden unveiled in late May, which the United Nations Security Council endorsed in June. The administration has spent months working toward an agreement that would halt the Israel-Hamas war, now 15 months old, and free the roughly 100 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, which the report describes as an Iran-backed militia.
The two sides described the call in brief, similar statements. The White House said Biden stressed the immediate need for a cease-fire in Gaza and the return of the hostages, along with a surge in humanitarian aid that a halt in fighting would make possible under the deal. Netanyahu's office said the two discussed the progress of the negotiations, and that he updated Biden on the mandate he had given Israel's negotiating team in Doha to advance the release of the hostages.
The call followed a busy Saturday. Israel announced that day that it had sent the head of its intelligence service to the talks. On the same day, Netanyahu met Steve Witkoff, Trump's incoming envoy to the Middle East. Trump is reportedly eager to have a hostage deal in place by the time he takes office, which means the outgoing and incoming administrations are, in effect, pushing toward the same deadline.
National security advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to CNN on Sunday and said the parties were "very, very close" to a deal, while cautioning that nothing is certain until it is done. He said the final details of a text to be presented to both Hamas and Israel were being finalized, and that the Biden administration intended to use every remaining day. Asked whether a deal could come before the 20th, he said it was possible but that he could not predict it. He added that it might come together, or that Hamas in particular might remain intransigent, as has happened many times before.
Behind the diplomacy are the war's casualties. Gaza health officials say the fighting has killed more than 46,565 Palestinians and wounded more than 109,000. The war began with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Fewer than 100 of those hostages remain in Hamas captivity.
What to watch now is whether Hamas accepts the text once it is presented, and whether the agreement can be completed before the White House changes hands on January 20.
Citas Notables
Can we get it done before the 20th? It is possible but I certainly can't make any predictions that we will.— Jake Sullivan, White House national security advisor, on CNN
Biden stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid.— White House statement
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