Joe Biden says ‘alarming’ Gaza aid deaths complicate Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks
- US president says Gaza ceasefire unlikely to begin by Monday as he originally sought
- Scores of Palestinians were killed on Thursday in violence near aid trucks in Gaza
Biden added that a ceasefire was unlikely to happen by Monday as he previously believed, but stressed he was still hopeful for a deal that would provide a six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
“Hope springs eternal,” Biden told reporters at the White House when asked about the ceasefire timing. “I was on the telephone with people in the region … Probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful.”
Biden was also asked about the incident in Gaza, when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid in a chaotic melee that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 100 people.
“We’re checking that right now. There are two competing versions of what happened, I don’t have an answer yet,” Biden said as he headed to his helicopter.