NEW YORK — President
Joe Biden said Monday that fighting in Gaza could stop as early as this coming weekend, the most detailed timeline to date from the White House on a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
Traveling in New York City for a campaign event, the president responded to a question from a reporter about the negotiations and when a pause might begin. “I hope by the end of the weekend,”
Biden said.
The president added that his national security adviser,
Jake Sullivan, told him: “We’re close.”
“My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close, we’re not done yet,” said Biden. “My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a cease-fire.”
It was unclear if the remarks represented any breakthrough in the talks. A White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment.
Biden’s comments come on the eve of the Michigan primary, where pro-Palestinian activists and young voters have made a major push for voters to select “uncommitted” rather than cast a ballot for the president. The effort is intended to register disapproval with Biden’s pro-Israel stance.
Biden said Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of
Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages held by Hamas. Negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.
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