Biden tells Netanyahu to accept ceasefire in ‘very direct’ call
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Israeli soldiers operating on the ground in the Gaza Strip, on Aug 2.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas as the White House’s frustrations over the continuation of the war in Gaza grow.
The two leaders, whose relationship has been strained by the conflict, spoke on Aug 1.
While Mr Biden pledged to support Israel against renewed threats from Iran and allied militias such as Hezbollah, he said he was “very direct” with Mr Netanyahu, with the regional fallout from the war, now almost 10 months old, worsening.
“We have the basis for a ceasefire,” Mr Biden told reporters. “He should move on it and they should move on it now.”
He said the assassination in Iran this week of Ismail Haniyeh,
Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it was responsible. Privately, its officials have not pushed back against the claim.
The truce negotiations, mediated by Qatar, the US and Egypt, have dragged for months.
The two sides are working on a plan Mr Biden outlined in May, which would see fighting initially stop for six weeks, with some hostages released, as well as Palestinians in Israeli jails. The second and third stages would lead to more captives being freed and potentially a permanent end to the war.
There are still obstacles to overcome. One of the main problems is that Israel will not agree to any truce it thinks will restrict its ability to restart the war and destroy Hamas.
Haniyeh’s death added to the tumult in the Middle East. It followed just hours after Israel targeted and killed a senior Hezbollah commander – Fuad Shukr – in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.
Israel confirmed that hit
Iran and Hezbollah have vowed revenge against Israel
Iran and Israel exchanged fire in April when Tehran accused its arch-enemy of striking a consulate building in Syria. Iran retaliated by launching 300 drones and missiles at Israel
Yet, it effectively telegraphed its move in advance, helping Israel intercept almost all the projectiles with the help of allied armies and ensuring they caused little damage.
Israel, under pressure from the US and Europe not to respond aggressively, launched a limited strike on an Iranian airbase.
This time, Iran’s revenge may be more fierce, given the sheer embarrassment of having a foreign dignitary assassinated in the heart of its capital.
Its options range from another direct assault on Israel to getting its proxies to step up attacks on the country to hitting Israeli targets across the world.
Mr Netanyahu said earlier on Aug 1 that Israel was at “a very high level of preparedness for any scenario”.
“We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against us from any quarter whatsoever,” he said.
Mr Biden was joined on his call to Mr Netanyahu by Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for the presidential election in November.
The President promised “new defensive US military deployments” for Israel, which the White House’s statement did not elaborate on.
He also “stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region”.
The US government has used intermediaries to send warnings to Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen not to escalate matters further, according to people familiar with American policy.
The war in Gaza erupted when Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel on Oct 7
Hamas and Hezbollah are part of what is often called Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”, a group of anti-Israel and anti-US militias in the Middle East. The US designates both of them as terrorist organisations. BLOOMBERG
