Joe Biden signaled that a deal to free Hamas-held hostages in Gaza could be imminent, as he suggested Israel had agreed to a “pause”.

The US president said: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself here... but we have gotten great cooperation from the Qataris”, a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas.

Mr Biden noted the “pause the Israelis have agreed to” as he described progress toward a deal, before cutting himself off as his US secretary of state Anthony Blinken shook his head and looked uneasy. The president went on to say: “I’m going to stop. But I am mildly hopeful.”

Mr Biden made the comments during a rare solo press conference in northern California following a four-hour summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

He said he was “doing everything in my power” to secure the release of around 240 people who were seized by Hamas during their October 7 attacks, but ruled out US military involvement.

Mr Biden also defended Israeli military action, arguing Hamas was committing war crimes by basing its military headquarters under a hospital.

He said Israel had gone into Gaza’s biggest hospital, Al Shifa, with a limited number of troops with guns, and was not carpet-bombing the site.

“They were told,” Mr Biden began, before immediately correcting himself: “Let me be precise. We’ve discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful”.

He said Israel was bringing in incubators and other equipment to help Palestinian civilians, and were giving doctors, nurses and other staff the opportunity to “get out of harm’s way.”

Mr Biden also argued that Israeli forces had switched from aerial strikes, which he appeared to suggest had been “indiscriminate bombing”, to more targeted ground operations.

“It is not carpet bombing. This is a different thing. They’re going through these tunnels, they’re going into the hospital,” he said.

“So this is a different story than I believe was occurring before, of indiscriminate bombing.”

Israel said its troops found Hamas weapons and combat gear in Al Shifa hospital during a search on Wednesday. Hamas dismissed the announcement as “lies.”

Mr Biden said of the conflict: “When is this gonna stop? I think it’s gonna stop when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder, abuse and just do horrific things to the Israelis.”

He added: “I’m not a fortune teller, I can’t tell you how long it’s gonna last. But I can tell you I don’t think it ultimately ends until there’s a two-state solution.”

Reiterating his previous warning to Israel that it would be “a big mistake for them to think they’re going to occupy Gaza”, the president said: “I don’t think that works.”

 “And so, I think you’re gonna see efforts to bring them along,” he said, before adding he shouldn’t say “any more”.