President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their call on Sunday to try to find ways to close the gaps with Hamas in the talks to get a new hostage deal, a senior U.S. official said in a briefing with reporters.
Why it matters: Sunday's call took place two days before CIA director Bill Burns is expected to arrive in Egypt for a critical meeting with Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials over the hostage deal.
Why it matters: There's growing frustration in the White House with Netanyahu and the Israeli government's rejection of several U.S. requests. Biden earlier this week called the Israeli military operation in Gaza "over the top."
World leaders who thought they'd seen the back of former President Trump are now bracing for the uncomfortable prospect of a second Trump presidency.
Why it matters: U.S. allies had never seen a president like Trump, who threatened to rip up treaties and often made bilateral disagreements personal. While long-serving leaders may have known Trump's return was possible, it's now something they have to actively prepare for.
President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated their support for Ukraine during a bilateral meeting at the White House on Friday.
The big picture: Biden used the meeting to pressure GOP lawmakers, calling on Congress to pass a national security spending package with aid to Ukraine, saying a failure to do so would be "close to criminal neglect."
