The Democratic Party hopes for a permanent ceasefire in the war (file photo)
Washington:
US President Joe Biden has spent months hoping for a “pause” in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But as Israel prepares for a ground offensive against Rafah, his rhetoric is shifting to emphasize the need for a “temporary ceasefire.”
It may sound like a subtle rhetorical difference, but it puts Biden closer to many around the world and critics within his own Democratic Party who want a permanent ceasefire in a war that has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians. kill
The United States has vetoed three UN Security Council draft resolutions on the Israel-Hamas war. Two recent vetoes blocked language calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. But Washington has now tabled its own draft resolution that includes the word “ceasefire.”
The draft calls for a temporary ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and opposes a large-scale ground offensive by its ally Israel in Rafah, according to a text seen by Reuters.
US Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas Greenfield denies intention to change language
“This reflects what we have always done,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
Before the draft proposal, Washington had avoided using the word ceasefire in any U.N. action against the Israel-Hamas war. The new U.S. text echoes rhetoric Biden has used publicly on the situation this month.
“I’m pushing very hard right now for a hostage ceasefire because, as you know, I’ve been working tirelessly to get this deal done,” Biden told reporters at the White House on February 8, referring to Israel’s response. He said it was “excessive” in Gaza, his sharpest criticism yet.
Eight days later, he said he had held extensive talks with Netanyahu on the ceasefire.
“I’ve made the case – and I feel very strongly about this – that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to free prisoners, to free hostages. That’s ongoing. I still hope it can be done,” Biden said on February 16 Ri said.
By contrast, he referred to a “pause” during negotiations on the hostage deal last November.
“As long as prisoners keep coming out of prison, I hope the moratorium will continue,” he said on November 26.
U.S. officials said Biden’s change in rhetoric had nothing to do with his critics.
Rather, they say it reflects the intense efforts between Israel and Hamas to negotiate a deal that would halt fighting for six to eight weeks in exchange for the release of hostages in Gaza and faster supplies to civilians. humanitarian aid.
The thinking within the White House is that if the fighting can stop for that long, a longer ceasefire could be in the offing. But Israel’s planned offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge, will complicate efforts to halt the fighting.
U.S. officials insist that Biden is not calling for a permanent ceasefire, reflecting his instinct that Israel has the right to defend itself after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an expert on the Middle East, said the shift in Biden’s rhetoric did not reflect a major change, but it did reflect the administration’s concerns about a potential offensive by Rafah.
Arab-American fears
Biden faces relentless criticism from Arab Americans, many of whom turn out in large numbers at the president’s events to protest his support for Israel and demand a ceasefire.
Arab Americans in the battleground state of Michigan have vowed not to support him in November’s presidential election, potentially jeopardizing his victory in the state.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden traveled to California on Tuesday that Biden had used the term “ceasefire” as early as November.
She appeared to be referring to a Nov. 1 fundraiser where a heckler called for a ceasefire. Biden responded: “I think we need a pause. A pause means giving time to let the prisoners out.” He added, “I was the one who convinced Bibi to call for a ceasefire to release the prisoners.” The White House later clarified that Biden was referring to Harbin Mas held hostages, not prisoners.
“Obviously, there is no change in U.S. policy. We are committed to that,” Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk will travel to the region this week for more talks on the hostage deal. U.S. officials say they hope to reach a deal before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10.
A week ago, talks between U.S., Egyptian and Israeli intelligence chiefs and Qatar’s prime minister to broker a moratorium on Israel’s war in Gaza failed to achieve a breakthrough.
“Ramadan is still more than two weeks away,” State Department spokesman Matt Miller said at a daily briefing. “We hope to have a humanitarian pause before Ramadan starts. We hope to be up by the end of the week. As I That being said, we hope to make it happen as soon as possible.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
