Current:Home > ScamsBiden says he hopes for Israel-Hamas cease-fire by Monday -FundWay
Biden says he hopes for Israel-Hamas cease-fire by Monday
View
Date:2025-04-21 02:46:24
Washington — President Biden said Monday that a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza is close.
"My national security adviser tells me that we're close, we're close, it's not done yet. And my hope is that by next Monday we'll have a cease-fire," Mr. Biden told reporters during a stop in New York City.
Mr. Biden said earlier this month that the U.S. was working to negotiate a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that would pause fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks. He said the deal would "bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then take the time to build something more enduring."
In an appearance that aired early Tuesday on NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers," the president said Israel would be willing to pause its assault during Ramadan if a deal is reached. The Muslim holy month begins around March 10.
"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," Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden, who has supported Israel's right to respond to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, has increasingly sharpened his criticism of Israel, calling its military operations in Gaza "over the top."
In early February, as Israel prepared for a ground operation in Rafah, a city near Egypt's border where more than one million displaced Palestinians are estimated to have taken refuge after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza, Mr. Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed without a "credible" plan for ensuring the safety of the people sheltering there.
Netanyahu told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that a hostage deal would delay the Rafah operation, but said Israel would still move ahead with the operation at a later time.
"We can't leave the last Hamas stronghold without taking care of it, obviously, we have to do it," Netanyahu said. "But understand, too, that I've asked the army to submit to me a double plan, first to evacuate to enable the evacuation of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and, obviously, second, to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions."
"That gets us a real distance towards the completion of our victory, and that we're not going to give it up," he continued. "If we have a deal, it'll be delayed somewhat. But it'll happen. If we don't have a deal, we'll do it anyway. It has to be done. Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach. Not months away, weeks away once we begin the operation."
- In:
- Hamas
- Israel
- Joe Biden
- Gaza Strip
- Benjamin Netanyahu
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at cbsnews.com and is based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
TwitterveryGood! (28856)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan Reacts to Claim Steamy Polin Scenes Were Deleted From Season 3
- Kevin Costner on his saga, Horizon, and a possible return to Yellowstone
- Mississippi education board returns control to Tunica County School District
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Dakota Johnson's Dress Fell Off During TV Wardrobe Malfunction
- CDK Global shuts down car dealership software after cyberattack
- IVF costs put the fertility treatment out of reach for many Americans: I don't think it's fair
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Caitlin Clark is proving naysayers wrong. Rookie posts a double-double as Fever win
Ranking
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Illinois coroner identifies 2 teenage girls who died after their jet ski crashed into boat
- Hours-long blackout affects millions in Ecuador after transmission line fails
- Michael Strahan Praises Superwoman Daughter Isabella Strahan Amid End of Chemotherapy
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Selling Sunset’s Chelsea Lazkani Reveals How She’s Navigating Divorce “Mess”
- Kentucky attorney general announces funding to groups combating drug addiction
- Kindergarten student struck and killed by school bus while walking to school with his mother
Recommendation
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Police in southwest Washington fatally shoot man, second fatal shooting by department this month
Amtrack trains suspended from Philadelphia to New Haven by circuit breaker malfunction
Minivan carrying more than a dozen puppies crashes in Connecticut. Most are OK
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Can you blame heat wave on climate change? Eye-popping numbers suggest so.
Princess Kate absent at Royal Ascot amid cancer treatment: What she's said to expect
Psst! Sam Edelman Is Offering 50% Off Their Coveted Ballet Flats for Two Days Only