United States President Joe Biden has said that he hopes to have a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza by next Monday as negotiations to halt hostilities and secure the release of captives appeared to gather pace. Biden’s comments in New York on Monday came as Israeli media reported that an Israeli military delegation had flown to Qatar for intensive talks.
The negotiations – mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US – seek to secure a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow aid into Gaza, where the United Nations says some 2.3 million people are on the brink of famine. The proposed pause would also allow for the release of dozens of captives held by Hamas in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Biden, when asked when he thought a ceasefire could begin, said he hoped for a truce to take effect within days.
''Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend, by the end of the weekend,'' he told reporters at an ice-cream shop in New York. ''My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.''