US President Joe Biden said he is hopeful that a temporary Gaza ceasefire could begin as soon as Monday, as American officials press hard to revive a stalled diplomatic process.
Biden’s upbeat assessment on Monday came after officials made further progress in negotiations at the weekend to release hostages being held by Hamas. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close,” Biden said, responding to a shouted question from reporters as he visited an ice cream shop in New York with talk-show host Seth Meyers. “It’s not done yet. And my hope is that, by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire.”
US, western and Arab officials expect that a fresh ceasefire and hostage exchange could mark a new phase in the war, creating momentum for longer-term arrangements for Israel and the Palestinian territories, including a pathway to an independent Palestinian state and a deal to normalise Israel-Saudi relations.