Rhino: Agencies – The White House said that US President Joe Biden in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday stressed the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, but Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued statements reaffirming that their demands remain firmly in place.

The call, which included US Vice President Kamala Harris, came after Palestinian health officials announced that at least 50 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli air strikes in 24 hours.

‘The President emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement and they discussed upcoming talks in Cairo aimed at removing any remaining obstacles,’ the White House said in a statement on the call.

Biden and Netanyahu’s call comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s whirlwind visit to the Middle East ended on Tuesday without a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas.