Biden speaks to Egypt, Qatar leaders in Gaza ceasefire push

By Steve Holland

BUELLTON, California (Reuters) -President Joe Biden spoke by phone to the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Friday, pushing for an elusive Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal as negotiators met in Cairo to try to overcome remaining obstacles.

A White House description of the calls said Biden spoke to Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and separately with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss "diplomatic efforts to bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion."

Biden is spending a week of vacation on a ranch in California's Santa Ynez valley and is closely monitoring the Gaza ceasefire talks.

Biden's conversations came after the White House described talks in Cairo aimed at reaching a ceasefire as "constructive," and urged all sides to come together to work toward implementation of a proposed agreement.

One issue that is a subject of intense negotiations is Israel's insistence that it be allowed to keep forces along the Philadelphi land corridor between Egypt and Gaza.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the discussions were continuing on Friday with CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk representing Washington.

Kirby said Hamas militants should participate in the negotiations, which on Thursday included negotiators from Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar but not Hamas.

"We're in Cairo. They're in Cairo. We need Hamas to participate, and we need to get down to the brass tacks of locking in these details. And that's what we're focused on here in the next, coming days here over the course of the weekend," Kirby said.

He said early signs in Cairo were that the discussions "have been constructive," but more talks are planned.

"Things are moving forward," he said, denying some news reports that the talks were near collapse.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel and David Gregorio)