"Hostage deal is in hands of Hamas right now...": US President Joe Biden

Joe Biden. Pic/AFP

With the Israel-Hamas entering its sixth month, United States President Joe Biden has said that the hostage deal is in the "hands of Hamas right now" as there's been a "rational offer." "We'll know in a couple days" whether Hamas accepts the current plan for a hostage settlement, the US President said, according to The Times of Israel.

"There's got to be a ceasefire because [if] we get into a circumstance where this continues through Ramadan... Israel and Jerusalem... it could be very, very dangerous," he added. On being asked about his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as of late, Biden responded by saying that it is exactly "Like it's always been," The Times of Israel reported.

On being asked whether he's pressuring Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, Biden reiterated by saying, "I'm working with them very hard... We must get more aid into Gaza. There's no excuses. None." The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, when about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure to eliminate the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Meanwhile, as of now, fighting also continues in Gaza, with the Israeli Defence Forces claiming that they eliminated Islamic Jihad terrorists who fired rockets towards Kibbutz Be'eri and Kibbutz Hatzerim. Fifteen terrorists were eliminated using snipers, tank and aerial fire. IDF forces also struck terrorist targets and eliminated terrorists operating from civilian areas in Western Khan Younis.

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