President Joe Biden expressed doubt on Thursday that a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is just days away, tempering his own prior predictions amid recent diplomatic complications.
Speaking with reporters while visiting an ice cream shop in New York on Monday, the president expressed high hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saying, “My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.” By Thursday afternoon, the president’s tone had shifted.
“Hope springs eternal,” the president said on Thursday when asked about his earlier ceasefire prediction. He then added, “Probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful.”
President Biden discussed the negotiations for the release of Hamas hostages and the overall situation in the Gaza Strip during separate calls with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Monday.
The president said a recent incident in which dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed during a humanitarian aid delivery in northern Gaza adds a new layer of challenge to any hopes of a ceasefire in the territory.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered near a roundabout in northern Gaza, anticipating a convoy of trucks carrying supplies to the embattled territory. There were reports of gunfire by Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers near the aid site, and hundreds of people being trampled in the chaotic crowd.
Biden Admin Seeking Answers on Gaza Aid Stampede
Around 30 aid trucks neared the Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza City in the predawn hours on Thursday morning. While exactly what happened after that remains unclear, but reports indicate people were trampled, ran over, or struck by gunfire.
In a post on the X social media platform, the IDF said Gaza residents had surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered.
“As a result of the pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks, dozens of Gazans were killed and injured,” the IDF statement continued.
Other reports indicated gunfire from IDF soldiers contributed to the casualties. The Wall Street Journal reported some witnesses claimed Israeli forces had opened fire on crowds even before the trucks had arrived.
According to Axios, an IDF official said Israeli forces located near the aid delivery site felt threatened as crowds of Palestinians neared their position. The IDF official reportedly said Israeli soldiers began to fire warning shots as members of the crowd approached within ten meters and then fired at the legs of those who continued to approach. This IDF official said around ten civilians were hit by the Israeli soldiers’ fire, a casualty assessment also shared with The Times of Israel.
NTD News reached out to the IDF seeking further confirmation that Israeli soldiers fired their weapons and further details about the circumstances of the shooting. The IDF did not respond by press time.
Addressing the incident at the Nabulsi roundabout, President Biden acknowledged “competing versions of what happened.” Asked whether he believes the incident complicates the ceasefire negotiations, he said, “I know it will.”
The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the auspices of Hamas’ political control of the Gaza Strip, reported around 112 people were killed and more than 700 others were injured in this incident.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority condemned the Thursday incident near the Nabulsi roundabout as a “massacre” resulting from deliberate Israeli gunfire.
The foreign ministries of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia—three regional governments that have weighed in on recent peace efforts—also condemned Israel over the incident at the Nabulsi roundabout.
At a Thursday press briefing, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Biden administration has been in touch with the Israeli government, and an investigation of the incident is underway.
“We will be monitoring that investigation closely and pressing for answers,” Mr. Miller said.
Ceasefire Dependent on Hostage Release: White House
Along with the complications brought by the Nabulsi roundabout incident on Thursday morning, ceasefire negotiators are still working on winning the release of more than a hundred people kidnapped in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
The war between Israel and Hamas began after Hamas gunmen breached the Gaza-Israel barrier on Oct. 7 and carried out attacks across southern Israel, resulting in more than 1,100 people killed, thousands more injured, and around 250 taken back to Gaza as hostages.
Most of the hostages returned to Israel since Oct. 7 have been freed through prisoner exchanges, with a handful more freed in Israel military operations, and the bodies of others repatriated after being killed in the course of the fighting in the territory.
President Biden reportedly discussed the need for a ceasefire in his calls with Egyptian and Qatari leaders on Thursday. White House readouts for both calls stated, “The leaders underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks.”
President Biden and his Egyptian counterpart also discussed ways to surge humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip once this temporary ceasefire begins and how to expand the ceasefire into “a prolonged period of calm.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his goals for the war in the Gaza Strip are the return of all hostages and the complete and total defeat of Hamas.
From The Epoch Times
Humanitarian aid is designed for Humans, not people that act like rabid animals like terrorists attacking the very people who show them love in aid, only to be returned hate in violence. These Terrorists cast their stale hateful murderous bread upon the waters, and it returned to them after many days. Food and Medical supplies to prolong the ability of a terrorist to continue his/her rampage against innocent civilization is not only non-productive, but counter productive to the peace that will only materialize when the terrorists are eliminated. Those who are starving with homes now destroyed should have taught their children peaceful co-existence and they would not have received separating targeted city destructions and the same death dealt to they the violent guilty, who first dealt it to the innocent others, then cry when the scales of violence get balanced upon their own heads. Innocent women and children make poor shields for men rich in evil but poor in spirit. This never would have happened if our wavering “have his cake and eat it too” vote harvesting President came out with an unwavering stand for good, instead of compromising with the evil men make, just to obtain and sustain his voting base and his power. His wavering mindless actions have just made middle east matters worse, just like just about everything he touches in a reverse Midas touch that has turned all the Good gold Trump did, into democrat dirt and even death.
Being we’ve seen hamas and others, USE THEIR OWN as target practice, to blame it all on the Jews, i wouldn’t be surprise to see them having SHOT THEIR OWN here, to cause folks to HATE more on Israel..
“The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the auspices of Hamas’ political control of the Gaza Strip, reported around 112 people were killed and more than 700 others were injured in this incident.”
These are the same people reported the explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch. The health ministry in Gaza said 471 people were killed. Nov 26, 2023
It was proven that a Palestinian misfired rocket hit a parking lot beside Al-Ahli hospital and No-one was killed.
It appears that there are Liar Democrats in all countries.
Yep! Just like the hospital hoax and so many other “murders” by the IDF of people who show up time and again in later photos. Its amazing that these people can resurrect themselves and call the process genocide.
It’s pretty simple to look at the video and estimate the crowd. Nowhere near 700 people in the area.
More lies from Gaza. The NY Post did Hamas a favor by delivering their report for them.
If US & Arab govts are so worried about lives of Gaza citizens then they need to demand Hamas unconditional surrender & release of hostages.
This is what the Allied powers demanded of Nazi Germany & Japan to end the war.
I’m sick of Islamic terrorism & murder of innocent people that includes even starving, torturing & sacrificing their own people.
And for what? To eradicate Jews & to forcefully impose Islam dominance wherever they are allowed to populate.
If any country needs protection under NATO it is tiny Israel.
when and in what war did sides let a cease fire happen for humanatarian needs?