A temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas is emerging again. As the war intensifies, with Israel engaged in a ‘limited ground war’ in the Gaza Strip, some Western countries, seeking to ‘buy time’ to release hostages and minimize civilian casualties, have expressed support for a temporary ceasefire. Hamas also sought a ceasefire using the second hostage release.
When asked on the 23rd (local time) whether he would support a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in exchange for the release of hostages, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “The hostages must be released first,” and “And then we can talk.” “There will be,” he said.
Although they did not express a position for or against the temporary ceasefire, they said they could talk if Hamas released the hostages unconditionally. The British Telegraph pointed out that “President Biden mistakenly called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” and pointed out the possibility that this statement was a slip of the tongue by President Biden. In fact, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on this day, “Whether it is a moratorium or a cease-fire, we must think about what these measures mean in a situation where Israel has been subject to terrorist attacks,” and added, “The ability of Hamas to rest, regroup, and prepare to continue terrorist attacks against Israel is critical.” “We will provide it,” he pointed out. On the 18th, the United Nations Security Council discussed a ‘pause of humanitarian military actions,’ but the United States exercised its veto, saying it omitted any mention of Israel’s right to defense.
However, some interpret that the United States may have left some room to back down from its support of Israel’s war to annihilate Hamas, saying, “Israel and Hamas can no longer coexist.” As Hamas offered Qatar, which is mediating the release of the hostages, a halt to Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip as a condition for the release of civilian hostages, it may have hinted at the strategic possibility of dialogue in order to induce the release of additional hostages by Hamas while delaying Israel’s full-scale ground war. There is.
However, voices calling for a temporary ceasefire are growing louder in the United Nations and Europe. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on this day, “We must save the lives of civilians by providing quick and efficient humanitarian assistance,” and added, “The first step must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was also the first high-ranking EU official to call for a temporary ceasefire, saying, “A humanitarian pause is necessary.” Reuters reports that France, Spain, and the Netherlands are in favor of a temporary ceasefire, but Germany and the United Kingdom are reacting negatively to the temporary ceasefire.
The United States held a series of summit and high-level phone calls with Israel to discuss the release of hostages and prevention of escalation of war, and pressured Israel to postpone a full-scale ground war. Citing multiple sources, Reuters reported that the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department are stepping up advice and appeals to their counterparts with the primary goal of securing time for the release of hostages.
In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Biden “reaffirmed our ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, including Americans, and to provide safe passage for American citizens and other civilians,” the White House said. The Pentagon reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also had a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and “emphasized the importance of protecting civilians.”
The United States dispatched Marine Corps officers, including Lieutenant General James Glynn, to Israel to advise on military operations. “A small number of U.S. military officers with experience appropriate to the operations Israel is conducting or likely to conduct will share their experiences and ask the tough questions,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council. He said.
Lieutenant General Glynn is known to have led the operation to eradicate the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. Previously, on the 22nd, Secretary Austin mentioned the battle to recapture Mosul, which wiped out IS in Mosul, Iraq, in 2016 and 2017, and said, “The battle in Gaza may be more difficult than Mosul.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.