NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden has alluded to the prospect of a cease-fire in Gaza, saying that should a deal be made to free Hamas detainees, Israel may suspend its attack during the impending Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
On Tuesday, however, Israel and Hamas both played down the chance of a quick agreement.
Speaking just before the Michigan primary, Biden acknowledged that his strong support for Israel is putting pressure on him from the state’s sizable Arab American community.
He did not say that all remaining barriers had been removed; instead, he said that his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, had updated him on the progress of the discussions.
After Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, Israel launched a massive war in Gaza that has caused massive devastation, a great deal of fatalities, and enormous displacement. The United Nations has expressed concerns about an imminent famine.
Concern about the fate of the inhabitants besieged in the region has increased as emphasis has shifted to the possible assault of Rafah on a global scale. Negotiators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar are striving for a cease-fire that involves the release of captives, a temporary end to hostilities, and enhanced assistance supplies to Gaza. Recent cease-fire discussions have gathered pace.
It is believed that an informal deadline for an agreement will be reached on March 10, which is the start of Ramadan. Biden said on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” , “Ramadan’s coming up, and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out.”
Although Biden expressed optimism that a cease-fire agreement would be reached by the following week, he did not demand an end to the conflict, which was started by Hamas terrorists. As a Hamas official minimized progress and said the organization would not relax its demands, Israeli authorities saw Biden’s remarks as unexpected and out of step with the nation’s leadership.
Increased assistance delivery, a brief cessation of hostilities, and the release of captives are all topics of negotiation. In return for Palestinian inmates, up to forty women and elderly captives would be released under the proposed agreement, which also calls for a six-week ceasefire to allow humanitarian relief to reach Gaza.
Biden would not rule out a future ground invasion by Israel in Rafah. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, believes that defeating Hamas would inevitably need a ground assault in Rafah.
Over 29,700 people have died as a consequence of the onslaught in Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory. Hostages were freed during the first cease-fire in late November. There are still roughly 130 captives in Gaza, and according to Israel, about 25% of them are dead.