Joe Biden tells Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu he backs ceasefire, in pivot on Gaza strife
- The president stopped short of publicly calling for a truce with Hamas, but his comments mark a significant shift in the US approach to the Middle East crisis
- At least 222 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed since violence in the region escalated more than a week ago
“The president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, describing Biden’s call with Netanyahu on Monday.
Hours earlier, Psaki rebuffed questions about why Biden and his top officials had avoided calling publicly for a ceasefire, saying “quiet” diplomacy was needed behind the scenes to resolve a conflict that has killed at least 222 people, mostly Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
Biden’s support for a ceasefire adds pressure on both sides to end a conflict that’s seen militants fire barrages of more than 3,100 rockets as Israel pummels Gaza with air strikes and artillery since the latest fighting erupted about a week ago. At least three more projectiles were launched from southern Lebanon toward Israel on Monday night.
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Until the latest call, the Biden’s administration’s reluctance to press for a ceasefire was read by many analysts as a way of giving Netanyahu more space to go after Hamas, which runs Gaza and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, European Union, Japan and other nations.
Israeli officials say they have killed more than a dozen top Hamas commanders since fighting started, and Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to do “whatever it takes” to defend his country and “degrade” Hamas.
But the political ground in the US was shifting quickly, with a rising number of Democrats pressing for more concrete efforts to stop the violence.
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That effort gained momentum early Monday when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added his voice to that consensus.
“I want to see a ceasefire reach quickly and mourn the loss of life,” Schumer said on Monday.
The comments were significant because of Schumer’s role as a key defender of Israel in Congress, and they signalled that Biden may soon have to move past what his press secretary called “quiet, intense” diplomacy and make more public calls for calm.
