Biden reiterates to Netanyahu his opposition to the Rafah invasion
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, spoke by telephone this Sunday with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as confirmed by White House sources, to discuss the options for a ceasefire in Gaza that would lead to the liberation of part of the hostages still held by Hamas, six months after the October 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel.
Biden has also reiterated his “clear position” against Israel’s plans to invade the southern city of Rafah, the only town in the Strip that the army has not yet fully entered.
The call took place on the same day that the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, left on a trip to the Middle East, which will begin in Riyadh, to meet with Egyptian and Qatari officials, who have served as intermediaries in the dialogues during these months. , so far unsuccessful, between Israel and Hamas to agree on a ceasefire.
Biden and Netanyahu have spoken on several occasions since the start of a war that has already caused more than 34,000 deaths in Palestine, according to data from the Strip’s Ministry of Health. In a telephone conversation between the two in early April, the US president conveyed to the Israeli prime minister that he found the humanitarian situation in Gaza “unacceptable” and asked that measures be taken to alleviate it.
According to a statement from the White House, Biden and Netanyahu also discussed this Sunday about “increases in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including the project of opening new crossings in the north starting this week.” “President [estadounidense] has highlighted the need for this progress to be maintained and improved in full coordination with humanitarian organizations.”
The US proposal for a ceasefire includes a six-week pause in Israel’s military actions and the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in its prisons. In exchange, 40 hostages held by Hamas would be released, mainly women, older men and people with health problems. It is not clear how many of the initially captured hostages are alive, but the most reliable estimates are around 130.
The Israeli Government has shown itself open to suspending or postponing for the moment plans to extend its military campaign to Rafah, where around a million Palestinian refugees survive.
This week, Biden signed an aid package that includes $26 billion for Israel, as well as $61 billion in aid to Ukraine and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
