Joe Biden Urges End to Israel-Hamas Conflict with Ceasefire

President Joe Biden announced that US mediators are making progress towards a Gaza ceasefire deal. During a news conference following a NATO summit in Washington, Biden called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, emphasizing, “There’s a lot of things in retrospect I wish I had been able to convince the Israelis to do, but the bottom line is we have a chance now. It’s time to end this war.”

While expressing overall support for Israel, Biden acknowledged concerns about Israeli actions and admitted regret over not persuading Israel to take certain measures. He stressed the urgency of ending the conflict, stating, “It’s time to end this war.” Despite the complex issues between Israel and Hamas, Biden noted, “There are still gaps to close. We’re making progress.”

Biden remains determined to finalize the ceasefire deal. A month ago, he proposed a plan for a temporary halt in Israel’s offensive in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages. Hamas responded with counterproposals, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced resistance from his hard-right allies. Recent talks in Qatar have shown positive developments.

Reiterating his support for Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack, Biden recalled meeting Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir as a young senator and expressed challenges with Netanyahu’s conservative war cabinet. He advocated for a two-state solution as the ultimate resolution, stating, “This war cabinet is one of the most conservative war cabinets in the history of Israel, and there’s no ultimate answer other than a two-state solution here.”

Biden stood firm on withholding 2,000-pound bombs to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza and pressed Israel for a post-war Gaza plan while engaging Arab states for security cooperation. He also expressed disappointment over the underuse of a $230 million aid pier built by the US military to facilitate aid delivery, which faced numerous issues, including weather problems. The US plans to end the use of the pier permanently.

Biden’s administration continues to support Israel while advocating for civilian protection in Gaza.