President Joe Biden expressed doubt on Thursday that a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is just days away, tempering his own prior predictions amid recent diplomatic complications. Speaking with reporters while visiting an ice cream shop in New York on Monday, the president expressed high hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saying, “My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.” By Thursday afternoon, the president’s tone had shifted. “Hope springs eternal,” the president said on Thursday when asked about his earlier ceasefire prediction. He then added, “Probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful.”
President Biden discussed the negotiations for the release of Hamas hostages and the overall situation in the Gaza Strip during separate calls with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Monday. The president said a recent incident in which dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed during a humanitarian aid delivery in northern Gaza adds a new layer of challenge to any hopes of a ceasefire in the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians gathered near a roundabout in northern Gaza, anticipating a convoy of trucks carrying supplies to the embattled territory. There were reports of gunfire by Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers near the aid site, and hundreds of people being trampled in the chaotic crowd.
In a post on the X social media platform, the IDF said Gaza residents had surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered. Other reports indicated gunfire from IDF soldiers contributed to the casualties. The Wall Street Journal reported some witnesses claimed Israeli forces had opened fire on crowds even before the trucks had arrived. According to Axios, an IDF official said Israeli forces located near the aid delivery site felt threatened as crowds of Palestinians neared their position. Addressing the incident at the Nabulsi roundabout, President Biden acknowledged “competing versions of what happened.” Asked whether he believes the incident complicates the ceasefire negotiations, he said, “I know it will.”
Ceasefire negotiators are still working on winning the release of more than a hundred people kidnapped in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The war between Israel and Hamas began after Hamas gunmen breached the Gaza-Israel barrier on Oct. 7 and carried out attacks across southern Israel. President Biden reportedly discussed the need for a ceasefire in his calls with Egyptian and Qatari leaders on Thursday. White House readouts for both calls stated, “The leaders underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his goals for the war in the Gaza Strip are the return of all hostages and the complete and total defeat of Hamas.