Israel ready to pause war if hostage deal reached: Joe Biden

Jerusalem, February 27

Israel would be willing to pause its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages held by militants, US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday.

Hezbollah fires volley of rockets at Israeli base

Beirut: Hezbollah said it had launched a volley of rockets at an Israeli aerial surveillance base on Tuesday in response to the attack on Lebanese territory, with no immediate reports of casualties. Israeli warplanes struck the Bekaa Valley on Monday in intensification of cross-border hostilities.

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Hamas studies Paris ceasefire proposal

• Hamas has received a draft proposal from Gaza talks in Paris which includes a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one
• Under the proposed ceasefire, hospitals and bakeries in Gaza would be repaired and 500 aid trucks would enter the enclave each day, a source privy to the developments said

There was no immediate Israeli reaction to Biden’s comments on an emerging framework deal, brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar, under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting.

During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages and additional Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. A Hamas official played down any sense of progress, saying the group wouldn’t soften its demands.

The start of Ramadan, which falls around March 10, is seen as an unofficial deadline for a ceasefire deal. The month is a time of heightened religious observance and dawn-to-dusk fasting for hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have flared in the past during the holy month. Biden said on Monday that he hoped a ceasefire deal could take effect by next week.

“Ramadan’s coming up and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all hostages out,” Biden said. At the same time, Biden did not call for an end to the war, which was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. — AP