Biden hopes truce deal between Israel and Hamas will lead to continued prisoner exchange (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden on Sunday expressed hope that the four-day truce in Gaza between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will last "the day after" on Monday, when it expires.
The US president said in a speech in Massachusetts that Hamas had released a 4-year-old American girl who was held hostage in Gaza, adding that he hoped the truce agreement between Israel and the Palestinian movement would lead to continued exchange of detainees and the release of more Americans.
Biden stressed that "the exchange is successful and I will continue to work with the Emir of Qatar and the Egyptian President to ensure the release of all detainees, and our goal is to continue the truce for the entry of aid and the release of detainees."
He added that a two-state solution was the only way to ensure the security of Israelis and Palestinians.
Qatar's mediation efforts, in cooperation with Egypt and the United States, succeeded in reaching a four-day humanitarian truce agreement in Gaza, which could be extended, which began last Friday.
The agreement includes the exchange of 50 Israeli civilian women and children detained in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children held captive in Israeli prisons, and the truce will allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid.
Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies