US president hopeful that Gaza cease-fire will be reached by March 4

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes a cease-fire will be reached in the Gaza Strip by March 4.

"I hope by the end of the weekend…My national security advisor tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a cease-fire," Biden told reporters at an ice cream parlor during a campaign visit in New York City.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 29,782 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.