Biden hopes for ceasefire by 'next Monday'

President Joe Biden on Monday hinted that a ceasefire in Gaza could materialize in the coming days but that such an agreement had not yet been finalized.

Fighting in the region has persisted, albeit with intermittent pauses, since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that saw its forces storm border towns, seize more than 200 hostages, and kill more than 1,200 civilians. Israel has subsequently invaded the Gaza Strip in a bid to remove Hamas from power. Biden has drawn flak from his progressive and Muslim supporters over his support for Israel.

"Well I hope by the beginning of the weekend. I mean the end of the weekend. At least my national security advisor tells me that we're close. Not done yet," he told reporters in response to queries about the prospect of such an arrangement. "My hope is by next Monday, we'll have a ceasefire."

REPORTER: "Can you give us a sense of when you think that ceasefire will start?"

BIDEN (confused): "Well I hope by the beginning of the weekend. I mean the end of the weekend. At least my national security advisor tells me that we're close." pic.twitter.com/lY2ffcg3Jh

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 26, 2024

Negotiations are ongoing in Qatar between Israeli and Hamas negotiators, though they are currently seeking a hostage deal and a potential six-week pause in fighting rather than a final settlement, according to Axios. Negotiators, however, appear more skeptical of a prospective deal than Biden.

"The progress that Israel achieved with the mediators in Paris did not close the gaps with Hamas. It is difficult to see at this stage how an agreement is reached before Ramadan," one senior Israeli official told the outlet.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.