President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss the prospects of a possible ceasefire deal to secure the release of some of the remaining hostages held since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terror attack, officials said.
Mr. Biden’s call with the prime minister came just hours after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken left Washington for his latest trip to the Middle East. Mr. Blinken will begin in Saudi Arabia, where he will meet Egyptian and Qatari officials who have served as Hamas’s mediators in the ceasefire and hostage-taking negotiations that have stalled in recent weeks.
Mr. Blinken is expected to visit Israel this week during his stay in the region, although the State Department has not announced an itinerary beyond his stay in Riyadh, where he will attend a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum. The secretary has been a key player in the Biden administration’s efforts to bring an end to the war, increase humanitarian aid and secure the release of more than 100 hostages believed to still be in Gaza.
The call also came three weeks after Mr. Biden told Mr. Netanyahu that he would reconsider his support for Israel’s war if the country did not do more to facilitate the delivery of food and other aid to Gaza and reduce the number of casualties among the civilian population. Since then, humanitarian aid to Gaza has increased significantly, and Biden advisers praise Israel for responding to the president’s calls, although U.S. officials acknowledge that aid is still not as high as needed.
Israel has withdrawn some of its forces from the southern Gaza Strip but says it is still planning a major attack on the southern city of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians have sought refuge. Biden administration officials expressed concerns about the possible operation, and Israeli officials said they would consider that feedback and consult further with American counterparts.
Under the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, Israel would halt hostilities for six weeks and release hundreds of Palestinians held in its prisons in exchange for the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas, mostly women, elderly men and people with health problems. Later phases of the agreement would then extend the ceasefire and lead to the release of more hostages.
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2024-04-28 19:05:15
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