WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister, Joe Biden “expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end,” a White House description of the call read.
The White House said Biden reiterated what has been his main message so far: “his firm support for Israel´s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.” Biden encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians, the statement said.
However, the White House has steered clear of condemning any aspect of the ongoing Israeli military strikes, saying that the close US ally is justified in responding forcefully to Hamas rocket volleys.
It was the first time the White House officially made mention of a ceasefire in its ongoing efforts to contain the situation. Biden has so far resisted joining other world leaders and much of his own Democratic party in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel.
Supporters of the Biden administration have demanded faster action, and 28 senators — more than half of the Democratic caucus — issued a statement on Sunday calling for an immediate ceasefire “to prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict”.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would work with Egypt and Jordan on a concrete proposal for a way out of the conflict. “For me there needs to be a process for a ceasefire as quickly as possible,” Macron said at a news conference in Paris.
“In the coming days we have decided to have a discussion with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the King of Jordan to be able together to see how we make a concrete proposal,” he added.
