Biden says Israel and Hamas on brink of ceasefire deal

Joe Biden has said his administration is on the brink of sealing a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that could pause the war after more than 14 months of fighting.

- Lorenzo Tondo, Andrew Roth

In a speech in Washington meant to showcase his foreign policy achievements, the US president said yesterday that the contours of the deal matched a "proposal that I laid out in detail months ago".

Senior Biden administration officials have said they believe the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas may still be concluded before Donald Trump's inauguration next week as the Israeli government has also confirmed progress in the talks.

The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said there was a "distinct possibility" the deal could be reached before Biden leaves office, as the "pressure is building for Hamas" to come to an agreement.

"We are close to a deal, and it can get done this week. I am not making a promise or prediction but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen," Sullivan said at a White House briefing yesterday. "I think there's a good chance we can close this," he added.