Israel/Gaza: Biden hopes for ceasefire until next week

US President Joe Biden has said he hopes for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Monday.

His comments came amid reports that there had been some progress in indirect negotiations involving Israeli and Hamas officials.

This includes delivering aid to Gaza and releasing further hostages taken in the October 7 Hamas attack.

Israel had no comment, and Hamas officials suggested the two countries were not as close to a ceasefire agreement as Mr. Biden had suggested.

Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations along with Egypt, said it had no deal to announce yet.

Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said Doha “intends to push for a moratorium before the start of Ramadan” and feels “hopeful, not necessarily optimistic.”

Israel has launched a major air and ground operation in Gaza after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel.

The attackers also took 253 people hostage, many of whom have since been released.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said at least 29,878 people had died in the region since then, including 96 deaths and 70,215 injuries in the past 24 hours.

Reuters, citing people close to the talks, said Hamas is still considering a draft framework prepared by France, which includes a 40-day suspension of all military operations and a It involves the exchange of Palestinians in prison with Israelis. The hostage ratio is 10 to 1.

“We're getting closer,” President Biden told reporters in New York on Monday. “It's not over yet. We hope to have a ceasefire by next Monday.”

Later on NBC's “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the president said Israel was prepared to halt attacks during Ramadan if a deal was reached.

The Islamic holy month begins around March 10th.

“Ramadan is approaching, and there was an agreement with the Israeli side that there would be no operations during Ramadan to give us time to rescue all the hostages,” Biden said.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday that “negotiations continue” but that “ultimately some of this will end up with Hamas.”

“I have no doubt that we would welcome a deal by the end of this week. We are looking to push this deal across the finish line,” Miller added, declining to comment further on negotiations or potential timing. Ta. “We think it's possible.”

However, a Hamas official earlier told the BBC: “Our priority for Hamas is not to replace detainees, but to stop the war.

“After so much loss of life and property, it is illogical to accept any proposal that does not lead to a complete ceasefire, the return of displaced people, or the rebuilding of Gaza.”

Last week, the United States, Israel's main ally, was widely criticized for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Instead, it proposed its own resolution for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as possible” and warned Israel not to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah “under the current circumstances.”

Israel faces growing international pressure not to launch an attack on Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinians have fled, most of whom are fleeing fighting further north in the territory. .

“Too many innocent people are being killed,” Biden said on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” “And Israel delayed the attack on Rafah, which they must do. And they assured me that they were going to make sure they had the ability to evacuate a significant portion of Rafah before removing the rest.” of Hamas. ”

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced on Sunday that it had received plans from the military to evacuate civilians from the area, including Rafah.

In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that regardless of the temporary ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces would eventually launch an invasion of Rafah, adding: “We cannot leave without raiding Hamas' last stronghold.'' ' he claimed.

“If an agreement is reached, there will be some delays,” he added. “But it's going to happen. Even if there's no deal, we'll get an agreement anyway.”

In another development on Monday, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned along with the government that runs parts of the occupied West Bank.

President Mahmoud Abbas could accept his decision, paving the way for a technocratic government.

Mr. Abbas is under pressure from the United States to reform the PA so that it can govern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war ends.

Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu laid out his vision for the territory but made no mention of the PA's role.