Biden aims to prolong Gaza war pause, envisages release of hostages and increased Aid
The U.S. President expressed optimism during a brief press conference in Massachusetts that extending the pause in the Gaza Strip conflict could lead to the release of more hostages and increased aid to the people of Gaza.
President Joe Biden aims to extend the pause beyond the initially agreed-upon time limit, which is Tuesday morning CET. The temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, which began on Friday, allows for a potential extension of up to 10 days.
Biden emphasized that this is a "day-by-day path," and outcomes are not guaranteed. He reiterated that the war would only end when "Hamas no longer controls any part of Gaza" and called for the "complete destruction" of the Hamas group, advocating for a "two-state solution" for Israel and Palestine.
John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator of the American National Security Council, stated on Monday, “We hope to see a further extension of the suspension (of war), which depends on the continued release of hostages by Hamas."
"We hope that Americans will be among the hostages released in the next two days. We expect that 8 to 9 Americans are at the disposal of Hamas, but we do not know their situation."
Hamas has expressed interest in extending the temporary ceasefire but has set conditions, indicating a willingness to do so if there is a serious effort to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.
