United States President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally hold talks to discuss the situation in Gaza after nearly a month of no communication regarding the issue.
The phone call on Friday between the two world leaders included talks about a potential two-state resolution to the conflict in the Middle East. Over the past month, fundamental differences between the two nations have come to light over a way to peace in Gaza.
Biden-Netanyahu Phone Call
United States President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a phone call for the first time in nearly a month.
The Democratic leader and his aides have all but smothered Netanyahu with robust support against the Palestinian armed group. This comes despite widespread international criticism over the rising number of civilian deaths and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel has continued to carry out military operations in the war-torn region since Hamas' Oct. 7, attack.
However, the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu has increasingly shown signs of strain as the Israeli prime minister rebuffed his ally's calls for Palestinian sovereignty. This is something that the American president believes is key to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East, as per the Associated Press.
The phone call comes one day after the Israeli prime minister said that he told U.S. officials that he would not give his support for a Palestinian state as part of any post-war plan. On the other hand, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to working toward assisting Palestinians move to achieve statehood.
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In a statement, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that while they discuss post-conflict Gaza, they have also talked about the aspirations of the Palestinian people. In the first weeks of the conflict in Gaza, the two world leaders spoke frequently but that regular communication has since lagged.
The phone call on Friday, which lasted roughly 30 to 40 minutes, was their first real talk since Dec. 23, 2023. The gap between the two leaders has widened as pressure mounts on the U.S. to use its considerable leverage to call on Israel to curb the war that has already caused the deaths of nearly 25,000 Palestinians.
Working for Peace in Gaza
Netanyahu's rejection of the idea of Palestinian statehood comes as he said that Israel needs "security control over all territory," which he claimed collides with the idea of sovereignty. Democrats have expressed concern over the prime minister's remarks but Biden said that his Israeli ally is not completely opposed to all two-state solutions, according to Politico.
The White House also said that the timing of the call between Biden and Netanyahu was coincidental. In a statement, it added that Biden believes in the promise and the possibility of a two-state solution for the war in Gaza.
On top of discussing possible peaceful solutions to the conflict, Netanyahu also briefed Biden on the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. He also reiterated his country's commitment to achieving war goals, including the release of Hamas hostages.
Kirby noted that Biden and Netanyahu talked about efforts to get the captives back home as well as the Israeli military's transition to more targeted operations. The U.S. is also hoping for more humanitarian aid to enter the enclave, said Axios.
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