President Joe Biden recently spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement, according to the White House. Vice President Kamala Harris also participated in the call, which comes as Arab mediators informed The Times of Israel that the US will need to push Israel to retract new demands concerning the continued presence of IDF forces in the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors to finalize a deal. Last week, the US submitted a bridging proposal that, according to Arab mediators, leaned too heavily in favor of Netanyahu’s demands for military deployment in and around Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)