As the official Palestinian death toll in Israel’s war on Gaza nears 30,000, President Biden said Monday he hopes a ceasefire can be achieved by Monday of next week.

President Joe Biden: “Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend — I mean, the end of the weekend. At least my national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. It’s not done yet. And my hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”

Biden made the comment in a New York City ice cream shop with “Late Night” host Seth Meyers, whose show he appeared on Monday evening. Qatar, which is hosting negotiations, said it was “optimistic” that a deal could be reached before Ramadan next month. Meanwhile, Reuters reports Hamas called Biden’s remarks “premature.”