President Biden on Monday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to commit to a three-day pause in fighting in Gaza to help secure the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas, according to a report.
Biden’s comments in his emergency phone call with Netanyahu came as a proposal between the United States, Israel and Qatar was discussed in which Hamas would reportedly agree to release 10 to 15 hostages during such a pause, a US official told Axios.
Over the three days, Hamas would supposedly verify the identities of all hostages held by the terrorist group and release a full list of captives, according to the report.
However, US and Israeli officials told the outlet that Netanyahu is reluctant to reach such an agreement because he does not believe Hamas will hold up its end of the deal.
Their reservations stem from the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, when terrorists attacked a group of Israeli soldiers, kidnapping one of them and killing several others during a humanitarian pause, the Israeli official told Axios.
President Biden reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to commit to a humanitarian pause to ensure the release of detainees held by Hamas.REUTERS Biden and Netanyahu spoke during an emergency phone call on Monday.via REUTERS
The White House declined to comment on the conversation, saying it does not publicly discuss the president’s private phone calls.
“[Biden and Netanyahu] “We discussed the possibility of tactical pauses to provide civilians with opportunities to safely exit areas of ongoing fighting, to ensure that assistance reaches civilians who need it, and to allow for potential hostage releases,” the House said. Blanca in a statement about the call.
Netanyahu said Monday in his first interview with US media since the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas that he expects Israeli forces to remain in Gaza for an “indefinite period.”
Palestinians search through buildings destroyed during Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Getty Images IDF troops have moved into northern Gaza after ordering the evacuation of one million Palestinians. Xinhua/Shutterstock
“On the issue of the ceasefire, the president himself has said that a ceasefire would be a surrender to Hamas, it would be a victory for Hamas,” the prime minister said.
However, he did say there could be an opportunity to make “small tactical pauses” to rescue hostages and provide aid to the millions of Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
“I suppose we will check the circumstances to allow goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave, but I don’t think there will be a general ceasefire,” Netanyahu added. .
Hamas is still holding about 180 hostages captured when it launched its attack on Israel on October 7, two Israeli officials told Axios. Another 40 people are being held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and another 20 by other militant factions.
More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, most of them civilians, during the Hamas surprise attack that sparked the war.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 10,000. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The IDF has relentlessly bombarded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes as it continues its advance into northern Gaza and Gaza City, home of the Hamas leadership.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn