ARAB AND WORLD
Fri 16 Feb 2024 9:28 am - Jerusalem Time
In a 40-minute call, Biden holds Netanyahu responsible for bringing the region into “chaos” because of his refusal to cease fire in Gaza.
The Axios website reported from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that US President Joe Biden made a phone call with Netanyahu.
The website added that the conversation lasted about 40 minutes. He did not provide further details.
For its part, sources in the White House revealed that Biden made a call to Netanyahu, and he was “very nervous.”
The sources added that during the call, Biden held Netanyahu responsible for bringing the region into “chaos,” as he put it.
According to the sources, the dispute between the two parties was over the temporary ceasefire and Netanyahu’s position on facilitating the hostage exchange deal.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken commented on the possibility of reaching an agreement regarding the release of hostages held by the Hamas movement.
Blinken said that reaching an agreement regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas is still possible, but there are “very difficult” issues that still need to be resolved.
In response to a question about whether it was possible to reach an agreement to establish a truce before the start of the month of Ramadan on approximately March 10, Blinken said that Hamas’s previous response to a possible agreement included some “clearly unenforceable matters,” but he indicated the possibility of working to reach an agreement.
Blinken added in a press conference during a visit to Albania, “We are now working with our counterparts from Qatar, Egypt and Israel on the matter and we are working very intensively on it with the aim of trying to reach an agreement, and I believe that this is possible.”
Blinken went on to say, “There are some very, very difficult issues that must be resolved.” But we are committed to doing everything we can to move forward and explore whether we can reach an agreement.”
Share your opinion
In a 40-minute call, Biden holds Netanyahu responsible for bringing the region into “chaos” because of his refusal to cease fire in Gaza.