Israel-Hamas truce 'looking tough' before Ramadan as group says 'no compromise'

US President Joe Biden expressed doubt on Friday (Mar 8) about the possibility of achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, stating, "It's looking tough."Biden's remarks come amidst escalating tensions in the region, with Ramadan set to commence soon.

Additionally, Biden's proposal to construct a floating US military port aimed at expediting aid to Gaza faces logistical challenges. However, the Pentagon disclosed that the project could require up to 60 days to materialise and involve over 1,000 American troops.

Spokesman Pat Ryder reportedly said, "We're working to set this up as quickly as possible, but we expect that it will take several weeks to plan and execute."

"Now we're in the process of identifying sourcing and in some cases preparing forces to deploy," he further said adding, "Simply put, they'll establish a temporary offshore maritime pier that allows for shipping vessels to transfer cargo to smaller vessels to transport and offload cargo to a temporary causeway for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Comments by Biden onthe ceasefire comeafter he recently spoke in his State of the Union about addressing the increasing humanitarian crisis in Gaza since October 7.

Amidst these developments, the United Nations issued a dire warning, cautioning that widespread famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" without urgent intervention."Children in Gaza cannot wait to eat. They are already dying from malnutrition and saving their lives is a matter of hours or days - not weeks," Jason Lee at Save the Children reportedly said.

'No compromise'

Meanwhile, Hamas has been demanding an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to secure the release of hostages captured during the October 7 attack. The armed wing of Hamas said that there would be "no compromise" on this demand, despite ongoing mediation efforts.

A spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida reportedly said, "Our top priority to reach a prisoner exchange deal is the complete commitment for the halt of aggression and an enemy withdrawal, and there is no compromise on this."

As negotiations continue, the looming threat of famine exacerbates the urgency for a resolution to the conflict before the onset of Ramadan. However, with both sides entrenched in their positions, achieving a ceasefire remains elusive.

(With inputs from agencies)