President Joe Biden said that he is "optimistic" about a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas but that the talks are "far from over." "Just a couple more issues," said Biden. "I think we got a shot." Biden told reporters Friday night that cease-fire talks were "still in play." When asked if he was more optimistic than in previous months, Biden replied: "yes." Mediators to the Gaza War cease-fire talks said that the two-day talks wrapped up and they aim to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal a deal to stop the fighting. In a statement Friday, the United States, Egypt and Qatar said talks were constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere. They presented both parties with a proposal and hope to continue working on the details of the implementation in the coming days. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders.