2024-03-10 03:01:05
US President Joe Biden described a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip as his “red line” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview on US television channel MSNBC on Saturday (local time). However, Biden immediately noted that there was no red line and that he would “never leave Israel.” Nevertheless, Netanyahu must “pay more attention to innocent people who die as a result of the measures taken.”
Biden and his advisers have repeatedly urged Netanyahu not to launch a major offensive in Rafah until Israel has developed a plan for the mass evacuation of civilians from the area. More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are housed in the Rafah area.
In an interview with MSNBC, Biden also said that Netanyahu’s actions are “doing more harm than good” to Israel. The Israeli prime minister has “a right to defend Israel, a right to continue to persecute Hamas.” But this should not affect innocent people. “It cannot be the case that 30,000 more Palestinians die because they pursue this goal.” Regarding a possible ceasefire before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the US President said: “It is always possible,” but did not elaborate.
Biden also pushed for a temporary ceasefire. “I want to see a ceasefire, starting with a major prisoner exchange. For a period of six weeks,” said the 81-year-old. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that talks between mediators Egypt, Qatar and the USA would continue on Sunday in Cairo. According to the report, Hamas is sticking to its call for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, but is ready for further negotiations. The Arab negotiators planned to push for an initial, shorter ceasefire of two days at the start of Ramadan, it was said.
Away from the diplomatic talks, the US sent the first ship with equipment for the construction of the planned pier on the coast of the Gaza Strip. According to the US military, the logistics ship General Frank S. Besson has left the US base Langley-Eustis in Virginia for Gaza. Biden had announced that he would build a temporary dock for ships carrying aid supplies for the suffering population of the Gaza Strip. There are currently no ports there that might be used for aid deliveries by sea. According to US information, Israeli officials are already checking the cargo of aid ships in Cyprus. This means that further searches in the Gaza Strip are no longer necessary.
According to Israeli reports, around 1,160 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage in the attack by the radical Islamic Hamas on Israel on October 7th. Since then, Israel has taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip.
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