President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes there will be a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war by next week.

“My hope is by next Monday we will have a cease-fire,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question while he was in New York City.

“My national security advisor tells me that we’re close, close but not done yet,” he said.

The president’s comments come as Israel’s military is planning a ground offensive in Rafah, where about 1.5 million people are taking refuge. Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the military has proposed a plan for evacuating civilians.

During a previous weeklong truce that ended on Dec. 1, more than 100 hostages held in Gaza were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Biden, Xi Open Talks on Friendly Note, With Tough Topics Ahead

WASHINGTON—President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a virtual meeting Monday…

Bank of Mexico Cuts 2023 Growth Estimate on Global Slowdown

MEXICO CITY—The Bank of Mexico lowered its growth forecast for 2023 on…

Black women on TikTok want to know, ‘Where’s our Alix Earle?’

TikTok creator Danessy Auguste has spent the past few weeks feeling confused…

One Architect Shows Sustainable Home Renovation Is Possible in Brooklyn

When Aaron and Anna Schiller began thinking about building a new home…