WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (KUNA) -- US President Joe Biden expressed Monday hope for reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip by next Monday amid ongoing Israeli occupation military operations against Palestinians since October seventh.
"My national security advisor tells me that we're close, close but not done yet," Biden told reporters in New York, adding, "My hope is by next Monday we will have a ceasefire." Biden's statement follows intensified international mediation efforts, led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, to broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
The US has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire in Gaza since the start of the war, while still backing a humanitarian pause to release detainees and deliver aid amid severe humanitarian conditions, including hospital destruction, dwindling resources, and disease outbreaks.
The occupation forces blocked humanitarian aid to residents who have been worn down by five months of intense bombardment and military operations, resulting in approximately 30,000 deaths, mostly women and children, according to the local Ministry of Health. (end) asj.lr