Biden talks Gaza ceasefire efforts with king of Jordan

US President Joe Biden spoke on Friday with Jordan's King Abdullah, discussing the push to reach a ceasefire in the devastating Gaza conflict, the two countries said.

"The president updated King Abdullah on his ongoing efforts to secure a hostage release and ceasefire deal, and preparations for a surge in humanitarian assistance during a ceasefire period," the White House said in a statement.

Jordan's royal court confirmed the call, saying that King Abdullah "stressed the need to end the war on Gaza immediately and ensure the flow of sufficient aid through all crossings, while guaranteeing its delivery to civilians across the Strip without delay or hindrance."

Gaza is suffering through more than nine months of war sparked by Hamas's shock October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took scores of hostages that day. Out of 251 people seized, 111 are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

The United States is pushing to bring the conflict to a close, and the news outlet Axios reported that CIA Director Bill Burns was expected to hold talks on the issue in Rome on Sunday with Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials.

Agence France-Presse