United States: The United States President, Mr. Joe Biden, has stated that there is a “real” chance of extending the four-day pause in Israel’s war on Gaza.
“I think the chances are real,” Mr. Biden told reporters, while also refusing to comment on how long the Israel-Gaza war could last.
“My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region are also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down and bring this to an end as quickly as we can,” the US President shared, while reaffirming his support for Israel.
Mr. Biden stressed that “eliminating” Hamas remains a “legitimate” mission for Israel. The President added that he has “encouraged” the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, to try to limit civilian casualties.
According to reports, about 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed so far in Israeli bombardments following the Hamas attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel.
Under the terms of the truce, 50 women and children held in Gaza are to be released over four days, in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children who are among the thousands imprisoned in Israeli jails. On the first day, 39 Palestinians were released in the occupied West Bank in exchange for Hamas releasing 24 captives, including 13 Israelis.
After the release of the first Hamas-held captives, Mr. Biden remarked that “it’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well.”
According to reports, both Israel and Hamas have promised that they will continue to fight. However, Israel has signalled that it is open to extending the truce if more captives are released at a rate of 10 per day.
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