War between Israel and Gaza, live | At least 13 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Rafah. international

Biden reiterates to Netanyahu his opposition to Rafah offensive

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, spoke by phone this Sunday with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as confirmed by White House sources, to discuss options for a ceasefire in Gaza, leading to the liberation of part of Gaza. Is possible. Six months after the October 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel, Hamas is still holding people hostage.

Biden also reiterated his “clear position” against Israel’s plans to invade the southern city of Rafah, the only city in the Strip where troops have not yet fully entered.

The call came the same day Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on a trip to the Middle East that will begin in Riyadh to meet with officials from Egypt and Qatar, which has served as mediator in the talks. There has been no time yet for an agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Biden and Netanyahu have spoken on several occasions since the war began, which has caused more than 34,000 deaths in Palestine, according to data from the Strip’s health ministry. In a telephone conversation between the two in early April, the US President told the Israeli Prime Minister that he found the humanitarian situation in Gaza “unacceptable” and asked for measures to alleviate it.

According to a White House statement, Biden and Netanyahu this Sunday also “discussed increasing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including a project to open new crossings in the north, starting this week.” “The (US) President has highlighted the need to maintain and improve on this progress 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, consisting mainly of women, older men and people with health problems. It is unclear how many of the initially captured hostages survive, but the most reliable estimate is around 130.

The Israeli government has shown itself ready to suspend or postpone for the time being plans to expand its military operation to Rafah, where approximately one million Palestinian refugees live.

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.