MEDINA, United States: US President Joe Biden Saturday said that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was possible “tomorrow” (Sunday) if Hamas released Israeli hostages.
“There would be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas would release the hostages,” Biden said. He was speaking at a fundraiser outside Seattle, at the home of a former Microsoft executive though he avoided the topic at three similar events a day earlier.
“Israel said it’s up to Hamas, if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow,” Biden told the about 100-people crowd.
The president raised the issue after warning Israel on Wednesday that it would stop supplying artillery shells and other weapons if its forces attacked the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as he expressed regret that civilians had been killed by US bombs.
“If they go to Rafah, I’m not going to deliver the weapons that were used … to deal with the cities,” Biden said in a televised interview with CNN.
Despite repeated rounds of indirect negotiations, Hamas and Israel have so far failed to reach a ceasefire agreement.
