Biden says Gaza ceasefire 'probably not by Monday'

US President Joe Biden appears to be backtracking on his earlier statement suggesting a truce agreement to halt the war on Gaza was imminent.

The Democrat leader, one of Israel's biggest political backers, now says that a ceasefire before Monday was not likely, according to the AFP news agency.

Speaking on NBC's Late Night with Seth Myers on Monday, Biden said: "Ramadan is coming up, and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan, as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out."

A leaked proposal, reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters, included a temporary pause in fighting, a partial prisoner swap, a gradual and restricted return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, the entry of 500 aid trucks, and the repair of hospitals and bakeries destroyed by Israel.

Hamas, however, poured cold water over the statement. Osama Hamdan, a senior official in the group, said that the leaked draft was being promoted for "propaganda" purposes.