News analysis
US unwilling to be sucked into quicksand of the Middle East
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
United States President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian organisation in Gaza.
But although diplomatic sources in Washington claim that the US is engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy, Mr Biden appears determined to limit American involvement in the Middle East, a region he considers to be low down the list of his security priorities.
