Biden warned Israel against obstructing the arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza (French)
US President Joe Biden said - today, Friday - that he continues to work non-stop to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for a period of 6 weeks, in order to return Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian resistance, and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
In his State of the Union address, Biden sent a sharp message to Israeli leaders, asking them not to obstruct humanitarian aid to the Palestinians for political purposes, and not to use the humanitarian aid file as a bargaining chip, stressing that protecting and saving innocent lives must be a priority.
Biden said that Israel has the right to pursue the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), as Hamas can end the conflict today if it releases the detainees and lays down its weapons.
He added that he would direct the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary naval pier in the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Gaza, to deliver more humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip, noting that there would be no US forces on the ground.
The US President pointed out that the war in Gaza has caused greater human losses than all previous wars in Gaza combined, and that there are homes, neighborhoods and cities in Gaza that have been destroyed, families without food, water and medicine, children who have become orphans, and about two million Palestinians who are under bombardment or have become displaced.
Biden affirmed his support for the two-state solution, considering it the only real solution to guarantee the security of Israel and the Palestinians, and added, "I say this as a supporter of Israel for life."
Biden is facing increasing pressure from members of his Democratic Party regarding his support for Israel in its war on Gaza after the Hamas attack on October 7.
Scattered protests took place across the United States before Biden delivered the State of the Union address, demanding a permanent ceasefire in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies