(Washington) Joe Biden, addressed Wednesday during a political meeting on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, said he was in favor of a “pause” in order to allow the “prisoners” to leave the enclave.
The American president, a candidate for a second term, was speaking at a fundraising event when a member of the audience called out to him: “As a rabbi, I ask you to call for an end -fire immediately.”
“I think we need a break. A break means giving time to get the prisoners out,” said the 80-year-old Democrat.
The White House, when questioned about these comments, subsequently clarified that by “prisoners”, the president was referring to hostages from the Islamist movement Hamas.
“I was the one who convinced Bibi (Editor’s note: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) to call for a ceasefire to get the prisoners out. I am the one who spoke to (Egyptian President) Sissi to convince him to open the door,” namely the Rafah crossing point in the south of the Gaza Strip, he further defended.
The American executive then indicated that he was discussing the recent release of two American hostages from the Palestinian Islamist group.
The White House has so far refused to discuss a ceasefire, believing that this would exclusively play into the hands of Hamas, but has already called for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to be delivered or to evacuations.
The war between Israel and Hamas has entered its 26the day Wednesday.
In retaliation for the bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7, the Israeli army is relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, and is now carrying out increasingly in-depth ground operations there.