Biden and Jordan's King discuss urgent ceasefire and aid surge for Gaza

US pushing for peace as CIA Director expected to hold talks in Rome with officials from Israel, Qatar and Egypt

US President Joe Biden and Jordan's King Abdullah held discussions on Friday about achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, according to the White House.

Biden updated Abdullah on plans to increase humanitarian assistance during a potential ceasefire. The leaders also talked about reforms to the Palestinian Authority and securing its revenue.

Jordan's royal palace described the conversation as addressing the "dangerous developments in Gaza." Abdullah emphasized the crucial role of the United States in creating a political path to achieve a lasting peace based on the two-state solution.

A day earlier, Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to finalize a deal on the Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of hostages.

According to a White House readout, Biden stressed the need to "close the remaining gaps, finalise the deal as soon as possible, bring the hostages home, and reach a durable end to the war in Gaza." They also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the necessity of ensuring aid flows smoothly.

The Gaza conflict, ongoing for over nine months, was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Hamas also took numerous hostages, with 111 still held in Gaza, including 39 declared dead by the Israeli military.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has led to at least 39,175 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The United States is actively pushing to end the conflict, with CIA Director Bill Burns expected to hold talks in Rome on Sunday with officials from Israel, Qatar and Egypt.

Burns will meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Egyptian and Israeli intelligence chiefs.

This meeting comes as Israel seeks changes to a truce plan and the release of hostages by Hamas, complicating efforts to finalise a deal to end the prolonged conflict.