The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said Hamas and Israel were closer to a ceasefire and hostage release deal than they'd ever been before, during a press conference on Thursday, though gaps remained to be bridged. Kirby told reporters: 'We are closer now than we’ve been before. Both sides have to make compromises … But it's going to require, as it always does, some leadership, some compromise and an effort to get there.' He also said the US president, Joe Biden, believed a deal needed to be struck soon
