Joe Biden believes the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could come into force next week

United States President Joe Biden said on Monday he hoped it could come into force as early as next week. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that halts hostilities and allows the release of hostages.

Asked when he expected the deal to be finalized, Biden responded: “I hope by the end of this week. At the end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me they are very close. They are close. They are not finished yet. “My hope is that we will have a ceasefire by next Monday.”

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, already went further in an interview this Sunday cnn That the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar had reached an agreement on “fundamental lines” to facilitate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Biden made the comments while visiting a New York ice cream parlor with television host Seth Meyers, whose show “Late Night with Steh Meyers” turns 10, chocolate and mint cone in hand.

Not long ago, a group of protesters gathered at Rockefeller Center to protest the war in Gaza and to request a ceasefire, where Biden went to record an interview with the Today presenter.

This Monday, sources close to talks in Doha between delegations of Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas told the agency. efe that conversation “going forward“Hostage exchange in Gaza agreed for Palestinian prisoners.

A Palestinian source from Cairo told efeUnder anonymity, that these conversations “He has made a lot of progress” to reach “A solid foundation” About the hostage exchange by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Similarly, he said that once a consensus is reached on the matter, talks will likely begin ceasefire in Gaza StripWhere approximately 30,000 people have been killed as a result of the Israeli military operation launched following attacks by the terrorist group against Israeli territory since last October 7, in which approximately 1,200 were killed and another 230 were abducted.

On his part, a source close to Hamas said efe The Doha meetings focused on identifying Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners who should be released, as well as the terms of a ceasefire and the gradual return of Gazans to the north of the Strip.

He pointed out that the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of camps to accommodate almost the entire population of Gaza displaced by the war are other points that are covered in these talks. efe Another Palestinian source close to the Doha meetings requested anonymity.

The source indicated that the progress achieved so far was possible thanks to Hames “Abandoned its demand for a permanent ceasefire” On the condition that a six-week ceasefire be implemented in exchange for the release of the hostages, during which negotiations to stop the war would begin “as soon as possible”.

According to these sources, Israel is showing “More Flexibility” Regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences who will be released in exchange for detainees in the Gaza Strip.

The Doha meetings are being organized by groups of “experts and senior security officials” and are of a technical nature, according to the informants, who reminded that meetings between intelligence chiefs took place in Paris over the weekend. Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Israel.

Since the war began, Israel and Hamas reached only a one-week ceasefire agreement in late November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

(With information from EFE and AP)