President Joe Biden said a ceasefire could be reached as soon as this week, pausing fighting in time for Ramadan, which is starting in less than two weeks. The proposed ceasefire would pause fighting for 40 days. Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating with Qatari mediators.
A Hamas official spoke with Reuters about the negotiations, stating, “The primary and main issues of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces are not clearly stated, which delays reaching an agreement.”
Biden appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night and spoke about the ceasefire, stating, “Ramadan is coming up, and there’s 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.”
Israeli spokesperson Tal Heinrich said the agreement is not guaranteed, stating, “If Hamas can come back down to reality, we will be able to have a deal.”
