US President Joe Biden says he expects a ceasefire in Gaza by next Monday
Curated by, Shankyanil Sarkar
Last updated: February 27, 2024, 06:53 IST
Washington DC, United States of America (USA)
US President Joe Biden said after his appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers in New York City that a ceasefire could be declared as soon as next Monday. (Image: Reuters)
Biden said a ceasefire could be declared next Monday while attending an event at an ice cream shop in New York City.
US President Joe Biden said he expected a ceasefire in the Gaza war by “next Monday”. “Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend, I mean, by the end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me we’re close. We’re close, it’s not done yet. And my hope is that by next Monday we will have a ceasefire,” Biden said, speaking to comedian Seth Meyers during an appearance at an ice cream shop in New York City on Monday.
A separate report by cnn He said Hamas supported some key demands during negotiations for the release of hostages and a Gaza ceasefire after Israel accused the terrorist group of making “illusory” demands.
Due to this, the negotiating parties came closer to a preliminary agreement that could have stopped the fighting and released a group of hostages. “Major obstacles have been resolved in the context of Hamas insisting on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and ending the war. Hamas’s requirements for the number of Palestinians [prisoners that] “There has to be a release, which has been denied,” a US official told the news broadcaster after a meeting between US, Egyptian, Israeli intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister in Paris last week.
Hamas has softened its stance ahead of agreement on the first part of the deal, the broadcaster said, citing a person familiar with the developments. The people mentioned above said they expect more challenges to emerge later when difficult issues such as the release of male IDF hostages from Hamas captivity and the end of the Gaza war will be discussed.
Participants in the discussions have indicated that a potential agreement would likely be introduced in phases. The initial agreement could result in a ceasefire lasting up to six weeks. This may include the release of some Israeli hostages, such as women, children, the elderly and the sick, in exchange for a smaller number of Palestinian prisoners than Hamas’ initial demands.
