US President Joe Biden Hopes for Gaza Ceasefire by Monday
US President Joe Biden expressed his hope for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza by Monday. This announcement comes as there are reports of progress in indirect negotiations between Israeli and Hamas officials. The potential ceasefire deal would involve aid deliveries to Gaza and the release of more hostages taken during the Hamas attacks on October 7th. However, Israel has not commented on these developments, and Hamas officials have indicated that the two sides are not as close to a ceasefire deal as President Biden suggested.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been mediating in the talks and has stated that they are “pushing hard” for a deal and feel “optimistic.” However, they have nothing concrete to announce at this time. The conflict escalated when Israel launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel. The attackers also took 253 people hostage, some of whom have since been released.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the death toll in the territory has reached at least 29,878 people since the conflict began, with 96 deaths reported in the past 24 hours. Additionally, 70,215 people have been wounded. Reuters news agency reports that Hamas is currently studying a draft framework proposed by France, which includes a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinians held in Israeli jails for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.
President Biden expressed optimism about reaching a ceasefire, stating, “We’re close… We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.” He also mentioned during an interview on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” that Israel would be willing to pause its assault during Ramadan if a deal was reached. Ramadan is set to begin around March 10th. However, a Hamas official emphasized that their priority is the cessation of the war, rather than the exchange of detainees.
Last week, the US, Israel’s main ally, faced criticism for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Instead, the US proposed its own resolution for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable,” which also warned Israel not to invade the southern Gazan city of Rafah “under current circumstances.” Israel has been under pressure from the international community not to launch an offensive in Rafah, where approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are seeking shelter after fleeing fighting in other parts of the territory.
President Biden acknowledged the need to protect innocent lives, stating, “There are too many innocent people that are being killed… And Israel has slowed down the attacks in Rafah. They have to. And they’ve made a commitment to me they’re going to see to it that there is ability to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder of Hamas.”
In a separate development, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his government, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, resigned on Monday. President Mahmoud Abbas accepted their decision, potentially paving the way for a technocratic government. The US has been pressuring President Abbas to reform the PA so that it can govern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war ends. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a vision for the territory that did not mention any role for the PA.
As the conflict continues to unfold, the international community anxiously awaits a resolution that will bring an end to the violence and suffering in Gaza. President Biden’s hopes for a ceasefire by Monday offer a glimmer of hope, but there are still significant challenges to overcome before peace can be achieved.
