Biden announces ‘real progress’ on Gaza ceasefire-fire deal

U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that significant progress is being made toward a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We’re making some real progress,” Biden told reporters at the White House. He also mentioned a conversation with Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, praising him as “a first-rate guy” and highlighting Lebanon’s efforts in the region.

Biden expressed optimism about a potential prisoner exchange, although he noted that Hamas was currently obstructing the process. “I’m still hopeful that we will be able to have a prisoner exchange. Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done, we need to get it done,” he said.

The situation remains dire, with Israel holding over 10,300 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas reportedly detaining around 100 Israeli captives. Hamas claims that dozens of captives have been killed in Israeli airstrikes.

The conflict, which escalated after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has resulted in nearly 46,000 deaths in Gaza, mostly women and children, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.