Biden urges 'Israel to call' for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza
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US President Joe Biden says the Israeli occupation should call for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza where the entry of aid and food is permitted.
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President Joe Biden speaks as a news conference ends with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP)
US President Joe Biden, in an unprecedented statement from his administration, called on the Israeli occupation on Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
While still sending arms to "Israel" which is besieging Gaza, Biden urged for the entry of aid, namely food and medicine, amid heightened Israeli aggression and increasing hunger and death due to the lack of medicine in Gaza.
"What I'm calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country," he said.
He claimed that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are all prepared to aid in delivering aid to war-stricken Gaza.
"I've spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They're prepared to move in. They're prepared to move this food in. And I think there's no excuse to not provide for the medical and food needs of those people. It should be done now," Biden stressed after his administration spent six long months dehumanizing the Palestinian people.
Biden calls for Hamas to move on ceasefire proposal
Biden also urged the Hamas Resistance movement to move on a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap while calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid into the Palestinian territory.
"It's now up to Hamas, they need to move on the proposal that's been made," Biden told a press conference at the White House, adding that the amount of aid getting into Gaza following a tense call with Netanyahu was "not enough".
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan disclosed on Tuesday that Hamas had not yet provided a response to an offer extended by the Israeli occupation through mediation involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The offer was put forward during the recent round of talks held in Cairo over the weekend.
Sullivan, speaking at a press briefing, indicated that despite efforts to broker a deal, Hamas remained silent on the proposal. He highlighted his conversation with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, wherein it was conveyed that Hamas had not furnished a definitive response.
CIA director William Burns was present in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday, participating in what Sullivan described as a "marathon session" that extended late into the night. Representatives from the United States, the Israeli occupation, Qatar, and Egypt were engaged in discussions, with the latter two actively communicating with Hamas throughout the talks.
Sullivan noted that "Israel" had demonstrated a willingness to advance negotiations by offering concessions during the discussions. However, the absence of a response from Hamas presents a significant obstacle to progress in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
The talks in Cairo mark the latest in a series of attempts to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, all of which have thus far proven unsuccessful.
Al Thani underscored the Israeli occupation's reluctance to allow Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza Strip as a key sticking point hindering advancements in the truce negotiations.
A senior source within the Palestinian factions told Al Mayadeen on Monday that no progress has been achieved in the ongoing negotiations taking place in the Egyptian capital Cairo on a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal.
No progress in ceasefire talks
The source affirmed that the Resistance's delegation went to the negotiations in Cairo armed with the nationally agreed-upon Palestinian stance.
The source stressed that Palestinian demands are clear, and there will be no agreement or exchange deal without achieving them.
These include an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, the return of displaced persons, accommodation for the people of Gaza, and the reconstruction of the Strip.
The demands also include the opening of crossings for the entry of aid into Gaza, the lifting of the Israeli siege imposed on the Strip, and the completion of a genuine prisoner exchange deal.
According to the source, all attempts and efforts made by mediators to achieve an agreement and a prisoner exchange deal have been met with intransigence and obstruction by the Israeli occupation.
The source warned that Israeli media are resorting to lies and deception to deceive their society through disseminating fabricated news, adding that the official media sources of the Palestinian people will announce any new developments in the negotiations.
