Biden urges ceasefire in discussion with Netanyahu

Washington| Concerning the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip, the White House said that during a phone call, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he expected a ‘significant ceasefire’ in the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.

In reference to the call on Wednesday, Xinhua quoted the White House as saying, “The President told the Prime Minister that he had an important hope today on the path of truce.”

“The two leaders discussed in detail the state of events in Gaza, Israel’s progress in reducing the capabilities of Hamas and other terrorist elements, and ongoing diplomatic efforts by regional governments and the US,” the statement said.

This is the fourth call between Biden and Netanyahu since the crisis began on 1 May.

The Biden administration has also come forward amid growing pressure at home and abroad to urge a halt to violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

A group of Democratic senators issued a joint statement last week urging an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of civilian life in the ongoing conflict.

According to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs, 219 Palestinians, including 63 children, were killed in Gaza.

25 Palestinian people, including four children, died in the West Bank.

Israeli sources said 12 people died, including two children and a soldier. Thousands of people have been injured in this conflict, mainly on the west coast and the Gaza Strip.

Militant groups fired rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, while Israeli fighter jets carried out intense airstrikes on buildings and infrastructure in the besieged enclave.