US President Joe Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Credit: Reuters Photo
President Joe Biden said that he did not call for a cease-fire on Saturday during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite growing pressure from humanitarian aid workers who say they cannot deliver desperately needed aid into the Gaza Strip because of a barrage of Israeli airstrikes.
As he was leaving the White House for Camp David for the Christmas holiday, Biden said he had a "long talk" with Netanyahu, which he described as a private conversation. "I did not ask for a cease-fire," he said, without expanding further on his reasoning.
The two discussed Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to a readout released by the White House, as well as the Israeli strategy going forward. Their discussion came a week after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Israel to push officials there to scale back its operation in its war against Hamas militants.
The call also came a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling for stepped-up aid for Gaza, with the United States abstaining from the vote. Biden "emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population, including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting," according to the readout.
The two leaders also discussed the need for Hamas to release its remaining hostages, according to the White House.