President Biden Signals No Set Timeframe for Conclusion of Israel’s Campaign Against Hamas
President Joe Biden has indicated that the US has not given Israel a specific timeframe to conclude its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, despite growing pressure from international allies and members of his own administration to press Israel to rein in its operation.
Biden’s comments came after Israel’s military raided al-Shifa hospital, the largest healthcare facility in the Gaza Strip, prompting the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for urgent humanitarian pauses to allow aid to enter Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vehemently opposed proposals for a pause in fighting, and Israel’s envoy to the UN called the resolution “disconnected from reality.”
Israel declared war against Hamas after the group launched a surprise attack from Gaza on October 7th, killing 1,200 people across southern Israel.
The assault on Gaza has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Palestinian officials, and has led to the gradual cessation of hospital operations as Israeli forces restrict shipments of fuel, water, and food.
The ongoing conflict has sparked international concern, with Biden addressing efforts to release hostages held by Hamas. He indicated that a pause in the fighting was being pursued as part of those efforts but backtracked, stating that he was “getting into too much detail.”
While Israel has agreed to several-hour-long pauses in the fighting each day, the US is pushing for longer humanitarian pauses to allow more assistance to enter Gaza and for hostages to leave.
US officials believe that as many as 10 American citizens are among the hostages held by Hamas.
The unfolding situation in Gaza continues to raise alarm across the international community as efforts to bring about a resolution to the deadly conflict remain ongoing.