President Joe Biden has backed off of previous comments about the Hamas–Israel conflict, saying only that “hope springs eternal” as he works toward a resolution that would stop fighting in Gaza.
On Monday, the president said he hoped to have a ceasefire announcement within the week, but he backtracked on that position Thursday morning.
“Hope springs eternal,” Biden said. “I was on the telephone with people in the region. … Probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful.”
His revised timeline comes just two days after the Michigan presidential primary, during which roughly 100,000 voters marked themselves “uncommitted” to protest Biden’s support for Israel.
The president was also asked a tragedy in northern Gaza that left more than 100 people dead, according to Hamas. Biden noted there were “competing versions” of what happened between Israeli and Palestinian officials, and added “I know it will” complicate negotiations.
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have continued to broker conversations between Israel and the terrorist group in recent weeks and months. Biden himself has come under increasing domestic scrutiny to elevate his calls for peace in Gaza.
The president was in a New York ice cream shop on Monday when reporters asked him when a ceasefire could go into effect.
“I hope by the beginning of the weekend — I mean, the end of the weekend,” he responded. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close, we’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire.”
The same day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with Biden to New York that advancing a temporary ceasefire remained a “priority” for the president.
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That position does not appear to have changed, but a weekend or Monday ceasefire announcement now seems unlikely.
Jean-Pierre said in Wednesday’s news briefing that the Biden administration is “working around the clock” to get to a ceasefire but added that the deal would also include humanitarian aid and a release of Israeli and American hostages being held by Hamas.
