There is hope from US President Joe Biden that there can be a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war by “next Monday.”

According to BBC News, he made the comment as there have been reports of progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas representatives in Qatar.

Israel launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October.

The attackers also took 253 people hostage, a number of whom have since been released.

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says at least 29,878 people have been killed in the territory since then – 96 deaths in the past 24 hours – and 70,215 people have been wounded.

(File photo via Joe Biden on X)