Will there be a truce in Gaza before Ramadan?
US President Joe Biden on Monday expressed hope that a truce would begin in Gaza by next week. This statement coincided with the negotiations in Qatar . And Israel continues to openly say that it will not stop the war until Hamas is destroyed. Will there be a truce in Gaza before Ramadan?
US President Joe Biden on Monday expressed hope that a truce would begin in Gaza by next week.
"We are already close [ to peace ]. We haven't finished [ negotiations ] yet . I hope we will reach a peace by next Monday, " Biden told reporters.
Earlier, it was reported that the American side is working hard to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities until March 10 - the beginning of Ramadan, and high-level US officials have been working on this for the past week. According to US officials, optimism appeared after meetings between representatives of Qatar and Israel.
For his part, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said his group supports efforts to end the war and accused Israel of stalling while Azazis die under siege.
Israel continues to state publicly that it will not end the war until Hamas is completely destroyed, while Hamas insists that it will not release prisoners without an agreement to end the war.
"We are fully prepared to wipe H AMAS off the face of the earth," Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat told Reuters at a conference in the United Arab Emirates.
For reference, a senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Tuesday that any truce would require "a cessation of aggression, an end to the occupation, the return of the displaced, aid, housing and rehabilitation ."