WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden spoke Friday with Jordan’s King Abdullah, discussing the push to reach a ceasefire in the devastating Gaza conflict, the White House 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.

Gaza is suffering through more than nine months of war sparked by Hamas’ 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.

Joe Biden told Netanyahu to ‘finalize’ Gaza deal: White House

Hamas 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 is expected to hold talks on the issue in Rome on Sunday with Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials.