President Joe Biden expressed optimism on Wednesday that a long-awaited hostage deal proposal he introduced in May is nearing completion. “We’re on the brink of finally bringing this to fruition,” Biden said during a foreign policy address at the State Department. “I have learned from my many years of public service to never, never, never, ever give up.” Biden noted recent high-level engagements, including conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the emir of Qatar, and an upcoming call with Egypt’s president, signaling that negotiations have reached a critical stage. “The deal we have structured would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel, and allow us to significantly increase humanitarian assistance to Palestinians who have suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started,” Biden said. While the administration has used the term “ceasefire” in recent statements, Biden opted for “halt” in his remarks, leaving some ambiguity about the terms of the potential agreement. Biden also insisted on the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying, “The Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their own futures. Israel deserves peace and real security, and the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)