US President Joe Biden is optimistic there will be a “ceasefire tomorrow” if Hamas sets free the hostages held in Gaza.
“As I’ve said, it’s up to Hamas — if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow,” he commented at a fundraising event.
CNN quoted Biden as saying in Seattle on Saturday the hostages included women, the elderly, and the wounded. Some Americans are also among the captives.
Earlier in the week, Israeli and Hamas negotiators left Cairo without reaching an agreement on halting hostilities, according to the report.
Hamas hit out at Israel for rejecting its ceasefire plan, saying Tel Aviv’s action had pushed hostage release talks back to “square one”.
Israel is dead-set against a permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas is vanquished, even if the Palestinian group frees all captives.
Biden has halted the delivery of over 3000 heavy bombs to Israel, warning the ally against launching a major military offensive in Rafah.
PAN Monitor/mud
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