US President Joe Biden appears to caution Israel against launching an operation in Rafah while hostage negotiations are ongoing.
Asked whether Israel has presented the US with a plan for how it will protect civilians in the IDF’s planned operation for Rafah after prepared remarks on the death of Russian prisoner Alexei Navalny, Biden responds, “I’ve made the case, and I feel very strongly about it, that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the hostages out, and that is underway. I’m still hopeful that can be done.
“In the meantime, I don’t anticipate, I’m hoping that the Israelis will not make any massive land invasion,” Biden says. “It is my expectation that’s not going to happen.”
“There has to be a ceasefire temporarily to get those hostages out. We’re in a situation where there are American hostages… It’s not just Israelis.”
“My hope and expectation is that we’ll get this hostage deal, we’ll bring the Americans home. The deal is being negotiated now, and we’re going to see where it takes us,” he adds.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 16, 2024
