In a telephone conversation, US President Joe Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “protect” civilians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel continues its artillery attacks and ground offensive, the White House announced today.
“The president pointed out the crucial need to protect the civilian population, among whom there are those who provide humanitarian aid, as well as the importance of allowing civilians to safely leave the zones where the fighting continues,” the announcement reads.
Biden and Netanyahu spoke yesterday, a day after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution asking all parties to approve and facilitate the immediate delivery of large-scale humanitarian aid, but which did not call for a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Earlier yesterday, Biden told reporters at the White House that he had a “long conversation” with Netanyahu, stating that it was a “private conversation.”
When asked by a journalist, Biden said “I did not ask for a ceasefire”.
According to a statement from the White House, the two leaders discussed the goals and phases of the Israeli military operation, as well as security issues.
At least 20,258 people have died in Gaza since the start of the Israeli military offensive, according to Hamas.
The war was launched in response to attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7 in Israeli territory in which about 1,140 people were killed, according to the latest Israeli toll, and about 250 were taken hostage.
Humanitarian aid, whose entry into Gaza is controlled by Israel, comes “on a spoon” from Egypt and recently through the Israeli border crossing Kerem Shalom, but it is far below the huge needs in that Palestinian territory destroyed after more than two months of war, Beta writes.
