The American president Joe Biden “stressed the urgency of concluding a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages” held in the Strip Gaza in his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House announced yesterday Wednesday.

He also referred to “upcoming talks in Cairo to overcome any remaining obstacles,” his services added in a laconic press release, as hopes of such a deal fading.

Mr. Biden also briefed Mr. Netanyahu on “active and ongoing American efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats emanating from Iran and terrorist organizations” identified as connected to it in the text, “including” the Palestinian of the Hamas movement, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, after the family name of its leaders.

Kamala Harris, the vice president and candidate of the Democratic party in the presidential election on November 5, participated in the conference call, according to the US presidency.

The talks followed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s tour of the Middle East to press for a ceasefire deal.

For the US, the truce in the Gaza Strip could help avert the risk of a Middle East flare-up following threats by Iran and its allies to retaliate for the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran, which was attributed to in Israel from the Islamic Republic.