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US President Biden before his flight to the US southern border: ceasefire "probably not until Monday, but I'm confident"
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Tom Brenner / REUTERS
US President Joe Biden does not expect an agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza war by Monday.
"Probably not until Monday, but I'm confident," Biden said on Thursday in Washington when asked by a reporter about such a deal.
Shortly before his departure to the US southern border, Biden remained optimistic.
The 81-year-old had raised hopes at the beginning of the week and said: "I hope that we will have a ceasefire by next Monday."
Biden also spoke briefly about reports of an incident involving an aid convoy in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning.
When asked about the impact of the incident on a possible ceasefire, he made it clear that it would make negotiations more difficult.
However, he was not aware of any specific details about the incident.
More than a hundred dead in incident involving aid convoy
When aid deliveries arrived in the city of Gaza on Thursday, there were dramatic scenes with more than a hundred dead and hundreds injured.
There were conflicting reports about the causes of the many victims.
The radical Islamic group Hamas blamed Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli side confirmed shots fired, but also said that some victims had been crushed or trampled by the trucks.
Hamas spoke of a "massacre" and threatened that the incident would jeopardize talks about a possible hostage deal.
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins around March 10th.
It is uncertain whether international mediators will be able to negotiate an agreement on a renewed exchange by then.
Cautiously optimistic signals have recently come from the USA and Qatar, which together with Egypt facilitate indirect negotiations between Israel and the Islamist Hamas.
muk/dpa/AFP