Current:Home > StocksBiden says he hopes for Israel-Hamas cease-fire by Monday -WealthX
Biden says he hopes for Israel-Hamas cease-fire by Monday
View
Date:2025-04-15 22:15:46
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! (8127)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Nigeria slashes transport fees during the holidays to ease some of the pain of austerity measures
- Congo enters its second day of voting after a chaotic rollout forced the election’s extension
- WHO declares new JN.1 COVID strain a variant of interest. Here's what that means.
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Fashion designer Willy Chavarria's essentials: Don Julio, blazers and positive affirmations
- Authorities return restored golden crosses to the domes of Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral
- Detroit Lions season ticket holders irate over price hike: 'Like finding out your spouse cheated'
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Faith groups say more foster families are needed to care for the children coming to the US alone
Ranking
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- 28 Products for People Who Are Always Cold: Heated Lotion Dispensers, Slippers, Toilets, and More
- You’ll Be Charmed by Olivia Flowers’ Holiday Gift Guide Picks, Which Include a $6 Must-Have
- Myanmar’s military should be investigated for war crimes, Amnesty International says
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Did Travis Kelce Really Give Taylor Swift a Ring for Her Birthday? Here's the Truth
- EU court: FIFA and UEFA defy competition law by blocking Super League
- ‘You are the father!’ Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan
Recommendation
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
You’ll Be Charmed by Olivia Flowers’ Holiday Gift Guide Picks, Which Include a $6 Must-Have
Hungary’s Orbán says he agreed to a future meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
Congo enters its second day of voting after a chaotic rollout forced the election’s extension
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Top US officials to visit Mexico for border talks as immigration negotiations with Congress continue
UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are ‘starving’ because of war
Octavia Spencer, Keke Palmer and More Stars Support Taraji P. Henson’s Pay Inequality Comments