US President Joe Biden is optimistic about securing a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza by Monday. Progress has been reported in indirect negotiations involving Israeli and Hamas officials, focusing on aid delivery to Gaza and the release of hostages from the October 7th Hamas attacks. While Israel has not commented, Hamas officials suggest that a ceasefire may not be as imminent as indicated by Biden. Qatar, in collaboration with Egypt, continues to mediate talks, but no official agreement has been reached yet.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated that Qatar aims to advocate for a pause in hostilities before the beginning of Ramadan, expressing hope but not certainty about the outcome. Following Hamas gunmen’s attack that resulted in casualties in southern Israel, Israel launched a significant air and ground campaign in Gaza. The attackers also took numerous hostages, some of whom have been released since then.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the conflict has resulted in a substantial number of casualties, with thousands killed and tens of thousands wounded since the onset of the violence.
