Obstacles from Hamas continue to prevent the ceasefire deal from being reached, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said during a Friday morning call with reporters.
"That doesn't mean that they're not, that they can't be overcome, but it is, you know, they are making it difficult," Kirby said. "And that's the reason why, right now, we don't have this deal."
Kirby refused to provide further detail on the nature of the obstacles and outstanding disagreements.
While noting that it is possible for the deal to be reached in the last 10 days of the Biden administration, Kirby wouldn't say if they're expecting the deal prior to Trump's administration.
Hostage negotiations 'still ongoing'
"They're still ongoing, and Brett {McGurk is} still out there. And I'm not able, nor was the president yesterday, to give you an over under here," Kirby said. "We're working on this really, really hard. We believe we made some progress. some progress. But that doesn't mean that the work is over. "
The ceasefire remains a key focus for Biden not just because the administration wants to get it done before leaving office, Kirby said, but because "it needs to be done."