Biden says no to pushing for cease-fire until all Hamas hostages are released
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President Joe Biden said he would refuse to consider supporting cease-fire agreements between Israel and Palestine until militant group Hamas releases every hostage.
“We should have those hostages released and then we can talk,” Biden told reporters, per USA Today.
More than 200 hostages were taken on Oct. 7 during a surprise attack by Hamas in Israel. Initial reporting from Israel marked the number of hostages at 212, but Monday, the number increased to 222 as more information developed.
Hamas released 4 hostages so far
Hamas has released four hostages, as of Monday — the group released an American mother and daughter Friday, then Monday, it released two Israeli women who are in their 70s and 80s for “humanitarian and health reasons,” the Deseret News reported. Their husbands remain detained by Hamas.
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National security spokesperson John Kirby said there are still other Americans who remain hostage, and 10 other Americans are still unaccounted for, The Hill reported.
The conflict in the area has reached a death toll of 5,700 Palestinians and at least 1,400 Israelis, The Guardian reported.
President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call
The president spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday and again committed to efforts to “secure the release of all remaining hostages taken by Hamas — including Americans — and to provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza,” according to ABC News. He also “underscored the need to sustain a continuous flow of urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
President Biden calls Pope Francis to talk about Israel-Palestine conflict
Biden also shared a call with Pope Francis Sunday and said the world leaders “are on the same page about the latest developments in Israel and Gaza,” according to The Hill.
“He was very, very interested in what we were doing to deal with some of the crises we’re facing, particularly in Israel this time around. And I laid out to him what the game plan was, how we thought we should be providing the kind of assistance to Israel they needed,” Biden said, per The Hill. “And, the pope was across-the-board supportive of what we’re doing.”
Calls for peace in Israel-Palestine
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged leaders to consider an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, “saying that the ‘appalling attacks’ by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October cannot justify ‘collective punishment of the Palestinian people,’” according to The Guardian.
A number of Democratic lawmakers have also pushed for a cease-fire, but Biden confirmed that securing the safety of the Hamas hostages is the first priority right now. But he still made a call for peace once that takes place.
As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution.
Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.— President Biden (@POTUS) October 23, 2023
“As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace,” he said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We cannot give up on a two-state solution. Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.”
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