Israel Security Cabinet to Vote on Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, Netanyahu Says: Live Updates
President Biden said on Thursday days after the start of the war in Gaza, he urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to stop the deaths and address the concerns of the Palestinian people, while maintaining strong American support for Israel.
Mr. Biden spoke with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell in his last televised interview while in office, where he also discussed his political career and presidency. The interview, which aired on Thursday night, was recorded this morning.
The 15-month war, which began after Hamas led a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Most of Gaza’s approximately two million residents have been displaced at least once, and much of the area has been destroyed.
Mr. Biden and other leaders announced a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday that raised hopes that the Israeli military offensive in Gaza will end. Under the ceasefire agreement, some of those held hostage by Hamas in Gaza will be released.
The president and his advisers struggled for months to negotiate an end to the conflict. Mr. Biden, who put the ceasefire on the table in May, said on MSNBC that he told Mr. Netanyahu repeatedly that he “has to find a way to address the legitimate concerns” of the Palestinian people. He called Mr. Netanyahu is a friend but said, “We disagree a lot lately.”
Critics, including some families of hostages who have called for the deal to be suspended, have accused Mr Netanyahu of deliberately stalling talks to escalate the conflict. Mr. Biden did not respond directly when asked if he thought Mr. Netanyahu did that. He said the Israeli prime minister was under political pressure from Israel’s right wing, and was sometimes forced “to do some things, in my opinion, that I thought were not beneficial.”
In order to reach a ceasefire, President-elect Donald J. Trump and Mr. Biden have ordered their advisers to work together. Mr. Biden said in Thursday’s interview that he did not have discussions with Mr. Trump about the negotiations during the last two weeks.
Mr. Biden recalled that the first time he urged Mr. Netanyahu to prevent the deaths was when he visited Israel ten days after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Mr. Biden said that he told the prime minister that the United States would support Israel, but that “you cannot bomb bombs these communities.”
Israel’s bombing campaign has been one of the most intense wars of the 21st century, and the country has used the wrong bombs at times.
During the interview, Mr. Biden has defended his strong support for Israel throughout the conflict.
“When Iran thought they were going to blow Israel off the map – they had those thousands of missiles headed their way,” he said. “Well, guess what? We didn’t let it happen.”
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