Biden sees ‘genuine opportunity’ for progress after Israel-Hamas ceasefire
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President Biden on Thursday praised the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and offered his condolences to families who lost loved ones, but didn’t offer any specifics as to how the US might stop another bloody conflict from erupting involving its major ally. “These hostility have result in the tragic death of so many civilians, including children,” Mr Biden said. “I send my sincere condolences to all the families, Israeli and Palestinian, who have lost loved ones, and my hope for a full recovery for the wounded.”
Earlier in the day, Israel and Hamas announced a mutual ceasefire without conditions set to begin early on Friday morning.
Israeli officials described the agreement, brokered in part by Egyptian and US diplomats, as “quiet in exchange for quiet” and pending conditions on the ground, while Hamas called the agreement “mutual and simultaneous.”
Also on Thursday, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution that would block the sale of $735m in arms to Israel.
“I believe that the United States must help lead the way to a peaceful and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Mr Sanders said in a statement on Thursday. “We need to take a hard look at whether the sale of these weapons is actually helping do that, or whether it is simply fueling conflict.”
Mr Biden did not comment on the resolution, though some expect him to veto it, which would likely render its final passage impossible, since a two-thirds majority would be needed to override his decision.
At least 244 people were killed during the 11-day conflict, most of them Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women. Twelve Israelis, including two children and one soldier, were also among the dead.
US military support plays a key role in Israel’s military might, with America sending the country nearly $4 billion in aid each year, the largest cumulative recipient of US aid of any country in the world.
The Biden administration blocked multiple attempts at the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire, draft versions of which strongly condemned the Israeli Defense Forces’ killing of civilians in Gaza and Israeli police’s violent tactics towards Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Before his remarks on Thursday, Mr Biden had called for a “significant de-escalation,” and had dismissed top diplomats to the region, though he ultimately said he supported Israel’s participation in the conflict.
“My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later, but Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory,” Mr. Biden said at the time.
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