President Joe Biden is urging Hamas to accept his administration’s most recent proposal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages.
Biden urged Hamas to take action on the proposal that has been presented to them.
CIA Director Bill Burns presented the proposal to negotiators over the weekend in Cairo. According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the onus is now on Hamas to provide a response.
The U.S. is collaborating with Egypt and Qatar to facilitate a negotiation between Israel and Hamas. According to reports, the proposed agreement would entail a six-week cease-fire, during which 40 hostages held by militants would be released, along with the liberation of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
During a press conference in the Rose Garden, President Biden confirmed the duration of the proposed cease-fire. However, he did not disclose any additional specifics. The announcement came prior to a state dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
During his initial public remarks regarding the proposal, Biden emphasized that he had been candid and direct in his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. He conveyed the United States’ expectations for alterations in Israel’s approach to the war.
During a recent conversation, Biden revealed that he had a lengthy discussion with Netanyahu, in which the Israeli leader expressed his commitment to taking immediate actions to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. These actions include increasing the delivery of aid, food, and medicine to the region, as well as making substantial efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 33,000 Palestinians have lost their lives.
This week, the United States announced that over 400 aid trucks were given clearance to enter Gaza on Monday, marking the highest number for a single day since October 7. Despite this progress, President Biden emphasized during his news conference that more needs to be done. He stated that the U.S. is actively working towards opening another entry point in the north to ensure a greater flow of aid into Gaza.
Biden expressed his anticipation to witness the actions Netanyahu would take in fulfilling the promises he had made to him.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu announced that he has scheduled the long-awaited Rafah invasion after his conversation with Biden. However, the U.S. has cautioned that this military operation could pose a threat to over 1 million Palestinian civilians seeking refuge in the region.
On Tuesday, Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, expressed his concerns about the lack of a credible and feasible plan to address the relocation, housing, feeding, and medical needs of civilians.
Senior U.S. officials revealed on Tuesday that their Israeli counterparts had not informed them about the scheduled timing of the operation.
During an interview with Univision, which was recorded last week and aired on Tuesday evening, Biden expressed his opinion that the Israeli prime minister is making a “mistake” in his approach to the war.
According to Biden, there is absolutely no justification for failing to meet the medical and food requirements of these individuals. He emphasized that action needs to be taken immediately to address this issue.
The killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers by Israeli troops was condemned by the U.S. president as “outrageous.”
During the interview, Biden discussed the potential for a cease-fire, yet he failed to address the issue of the hostages. However, he made it clear on Wednesday that any agreement reached would undoubtedly involve the release of the hostages.
Biden pointed out that the situation was closely linked to the hostages.
Families of the hostages had a meeting at the White House on Tuesday, where they were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, they had a meeting with Sullivan on Monday. Biden emphasized that the United States will continue its efforts until the hostages are safely returned home.
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