U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a sustainable ceasefire deal in Gaza, the White House said.
The leaders discussed the ongoing negotiations in Cairo to achieve a sustainable ceasefire agreement and Obama reaffirmed the United States' support for Egypt's mediation efforts, said a statement issued by the White House.
Obama underscored the importance of achieving a sustainable outcome that "ensures Israel's security and addresses Gaza's humanitarian crisis," said the statement.
The Palestinian and Israeli delegations in Cairo agreed late Wednesday night to a further 5-day ceasefire for their ongoing conflict in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.
It is the third time for Egypt, after intensified indirect talks in Cairo, to broker a ceasefire between the armed Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel since the Israeli offensive on Gaza started on July 8.
Earlier in the day, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and exploded in southern Israel, two hours before the current temporary truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire, a spokesperson with the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.