The White House: Gaza Conflict Parties Near Ceasefire Agreement

He said: “We believe—and the Israelis have also said—that we are close, no doubt about it. We believe this, but we remain cautiously optimistic… We’ve been in this situation before without being able to reach the finish line.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied reports suggesting he was heading to Cairo as a ceasefire agreement in Gaza approached. This contradicted media reports claiming otherwise.

Additionally, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News Channel cited an Egyptian source denying Netanyahu’s anticipated visit to Cairo.

Earlier, Reuters had quoted “informed sources” on Tuesday, suggesting Netanyahu was on his way to Cairo for talks on Gaza. This followed reports from Al-Qahera News Channel that Egypt and Qatar were intensifying efforts with all parties to achieve a truce.

Separately, media sources stated that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would travel directly from the Vatican to Cairo to join crucial discussions.

Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. continue mediating between Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to end the ongoing war in Gaza, which has persisted for more than a year.

In the meantime, Israeli attacks on Gaza continued, with at least 35 Palestinians killed today following strikes on two homes, according to sources at Al-Arabi Al-Ahli Hospital.