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President Joe Biden on Monday said a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could take effect by the start of next week, giving new hope to advocates who’ve pushed for a pause in the fighting to enable the return of hostages by the militant group.
Mr Biden, who was in New York City for a taping of the NBC programme Late Night with Seth Meyers, was visiting a Van Leeuwen ice cream parlour near the network’s Rockefeller Centre headquarters when he was asked about the prospects for a ceasefire and pressed specifically on when one could take effect.
The president replied: “I hope by the end of the weekend”.
Continuing, he elaborated by telling reporters traveling with him that his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has told him that a ceasefire is “close” but talks are “not done yet”.
“My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire,” he added,.
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