US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip by the month of Ramadan “seems to be difficult,” in contrast to previous optimistic statements about the success of reaching an agreement before the month arrives.

"It seems difficult," Biden told reporters in response to a question about whether it was possible to reach a temporary truce to stop the war that has been raging for five months by the month of Ramadan.

Biden expressed his "deep" concern about the violence that could erupt in occupied Jerusalem during Ramadan.

The United States, Qatar, and Egypt are striving to secure an agreement on a truce in Gaza before Ramadan, but the negotiations that took place this week in Cairo did not lead to any tangible results.

On Friday, Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, called in a televised statement on “our people in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and the Palestinians inside to march towards Al-Aqsa Mosque” during the month of Ramadan, which begins next week, and “not to allow the occupation to change the reality on the ground.” He said, “We welcome Ramadan with jihad and unity in a time when men are proud.”