Biden and Netanyahu push for ceasefire amid heightened tensions
On Thursday, United States President Joe Biden received the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House. After the meeting, the leaders also plan to meet with the families of individuals abducted by Hamas. Additionally, Netanyahu is scheduled to hold talks with Vice President Kamala Harris. The central theme of the meetings will be the attempt to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip conflict.
During a brief welcome in the Oval Office, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Biden for his fifty years of public service and long-standing support for Israel. Biden, having announced his decision not to run for another term on Sunday, extended his support to Harris in the upcoming November elections.
Netanyahu also expressed hope for productive cooperation with Biden for the remainder of his term. "We have a lot to discuss," Biden noted. The leaders did not respond to numerous press questions and proceeded to the closed part of the meeting.
Meeting after many months
This is the first direct meeting of the two leaders since the US President visited Israel shortly after the Hamas attack, which happened on 7 October 2023. Approximately 1,200 people were killed as a result, and the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalated. Issues related to the ceasefire and the release of hostages are critical elements of Thursday's talks.
As the US government spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists, Biden's message to Netanyahu is: "it's time to get this deal done." "It’s been a tough negotiation. We’ve made progress; we’ve gotten a framework agreement. And we now need to bridge the final differences and get a deal and get a deal in place so we can all move forward," Miller added, in a quote from the Times of Israel.
Bilateral talks
Representatives from both sides are participating in the talks, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and from Israel, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Cachi Hanegbi.
Information from within the US government, released on Wednesday, indicated that ceasefire negotiations are advanced. Despite earlier announcements of success, differences of opinion between the sides have hindered the agreement's finalization, Reuters reminded.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Harris will be particularly scrutinized. Although she has publicly stated that her views on Israel and Gaza align with Biden's, according to many observers, she is more critical of the authorities in Jerusalem than the sitting president.
US support for the conflict in the Gaza Strip, where over 39,000 Palestinians have already died, has caused divisions within the Democratic Party and protests in the country.
