Biden Reportedly Asked Israel For More Concessions After Hamas Refuses Terms For Ceasefire Deal

President Joe Biden asked Israel to make further concessions on a possible ceasefire deal after Hamas refused the current terms on Sunday, Axios reported.

Hamas refused a proposed ceasefire agreement with Israel on Sunday — as it had several times before — arguing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had set “new conditions” for a deal, including that Israeli forces remain along the Gazan-Egyptian border, according to The Times of Israel. Biden called Netanyahu on Wednesday and urged him to loosen his demand that Israeli forces remain along the border so that a deal can be secured, U.S. officials told Axios.

Israel’s goal in keeping forces along that border would be to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt, according to Axios. Netanyahu told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that keeping forces along the border was a necessity for a deal.

The demand has proved contentious in the ongoing negotiations, which have evolved over months. An Israeli team recently presented a map depicting their forces remaining along the border to Egypt; the Egyptians rejected the proposal, according to Axios.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and his team believe that forces can be pulled away from the border, warning Netanyahu that keeping them there could endanger a possible ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal, Israeli officials told Axios. Gallant and Netanyahu have been at odds over the war and its ending in recent weeks, sometimes bringing their