US President Joe Biden has said he hopes to have a ceasefire by next Monday, after reports of progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas representatives.
“We’re close”, he said on Monday, speaking in an ice cream shop. “We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”
Last week, the US was widely criticized for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, says the BBC.
Instead, it proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, involving aid deliveries and hostage release, which also warned Israel not to invade the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
But Israel has not commented, and Hamas officials have suggested that a ceasefire is not imminent.
Qatar, involved in talk mediation, has declared itself “hopeful, not necessarily optimistic”.
There may be a pause for Ramadan.
