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Biden defends ceasefire in Gaza in conversation with Netanyahu

2021-05-19T22:13:06.077Z


Israeli Prime Minister Warns He Will Complete Targets Against Hamas Before Any Truce US President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday during his remarks on vaccination.NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP The escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip is forcing Joe Biden to become increasingly involved in a conflict that he intended to put on the back burner of his tenure. The president of the United States spoke on Monday by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed hi


US President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday during his remarks on vaccination.NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP

The escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip is forcing Joe Biden to become increasingly involved in a conflict that he intended to put on the back burner of his tenure.

The president of the United States spoke on Monday by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his "support for a ceasefire," according to the summary of the call provided by the White House, something that he had not done until now, at least publicly and explicitly, but far from an exhortation for an immediate halt to the offensive.

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Since hostilities began last week, the Democrat has defended Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas terrorist attacks, a line from which he has not moved despite pressure from his own party's left flank. Biden has also withdrawn that right to protection against "indiscriminate rocket attacks" in the conversation this Monday, but has also raised the need for such a ceasefire and the involvement of the United States and Egypt to facilitate that end.

It does not seem easy, Netanyahu has warned Biden in that same exchange that he is determined to complete the objectives of the Gaza offensive before accepting that truce,

reports Juan Carlos Sanz from Jerusalem

. This escalation of war, the most serious in the area in 14 years, began last Monday afternoon after the firing of Hamas rockets on Jerusalem and has since claimed the lives of at least 204 people in Gaza (including 58 children and 34 women), leaving bloody images that have caused stupor in the international community.

Biden has asked Netanyahu to "make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians," according to the White House, which a few hours earlier claimed that Washington was carrying out "intense and silent" diplomatic work in the face of this outbreak. For the Democrat, this crisis is a headache. Determined to place the rivalry with China at the center of his geopolitical priorities, he planned to avoid the Middle East powder keg as much as possible, breaking, yes, with the policy of the Donald Trump Administration and insisting on the solution of the problems. two states.

In the morning, during his official visit to Copenhagen, the head of US Diplomacy reiterated Washington's support for his close partner: “Israel has the right to defend itself, it cannot be equated with a terrorist group like Hamas, but as a democracy it has a additional burden [responsibility] to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, ”he said.

He also urged Hamas to "immediately" stop the launch of missiles into Israeli territory.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2021-05-19

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