From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 27, 2023
Biden welcomes 2-day extension of Israel-Hamas truce, as Jerusalem still mum on deal
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden issues a statement welcoming the two-day extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar announced the truce two hours ago, and Hamas confirmed the agreement shortly thereafter. Only Israel has yet to offer a confirmation of its own, while the IDF’s spokesperson said moments ago that the deal is not yet final.
For his part, Biden says, “I have remained deeply engaged over the last few days to ensure that this deal—brokered and sustained through extensive US mediation and diplomacy—can continue to deliver results.”
While the fourth group of hostages has not yet been released, Biden says, “Thus far, more than 50 hostages have now been released and returned to their families. Those released include young children, mothers, and grandmothers.”
Biden again highlights the plight of Avigail Idan, a 4-year-old Israeli-American who was released yesterday. Her parents were murdered in front of her on October 7, before Idan was taken hostage.
“I spoke with Abigail’s family following her release, and we are working closely with our Israeli partners to ensure she gets the care and support she needs as she begins to recover from this unspeakable trauma,” Biden says.
“The humanitarian pause has also enabled a significant surge in additional humanitarian assistance to the innocent civilians who are suffering across the Gaza strip,” the president notes.
He highlights that no country has donated more in humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians than the US.
“We are taking full advantage of the pause in fighting to increase the amount of humanitarian aid moving into Gaza and we will continue our efforts to build a future of peace and dignity for the Palestinian people,” Biden adds, thanking the leaders of Israel, Qatar and Egypt for the cooperation and pledging to continue fighting until all hostages in Gaza are released.
The emphasis on the US efforts to provide relief to the Palestinians comes during growing frustration from the far-left wing of his party over Biden’s support for Israel throughout the war.
The Times of Israel Community.