US President Joe Biden expressed optimism on Sunday about reaching a possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza before the end of his presidency.

In his response to CBS's Robert Costa in the interview that aired Sunday, Biden said that despite the complex challenges of managing two wars, referring to the Gaza and Ukraine wars, and domestic political and economic issues, he believes his plan, which is supported by the Group of Seven and the United Nations Security Council, is still workable.

Biden stressed that his administration is working hard to prevent the conflict from escalating into a wider regional war. He insisted, saying: “Yes, a ceasefire agreement is still possible.”

Tripartite statement

Last Thursday, Biden, in partnership with the Egyptian President and the Emir of Qatar, issued a statement in which they called for an end to the war on Gaza and the release of detainees. The statement also called for the resumption of talks between Hamas and Israel in the middle of this month, whether in Cairo or Doha.

He added that "no more time should be wasted" and that there should be no excuses by any party for another postponement, stressing that now is the time to release the detainees, start the ceasefire and implement this agreement.

The three countries said they were ready, if necessary, to put forward a final proposal to overcome the gaps and resolve the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.

List of 33 detainees

In a related context, Israeli Channel 12 said that Israel insists on receiving a list of the names of 33 living detainees before Thursday's summit.

The Israeli channel also said that Netanyahu said in closed talks that he does not trust the Israeli negotiating delegation.

Israel has been waging a brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, which has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and the injury of more than 92,000 others.