U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders of 17 countries with citizens believed or known to be held by Hamas are demanding a cease-fire deal with Israel. The deal would “bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza,” they say in a statement released by the White House. In addition to the United States, the 17 countries are Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom