Biden Stresses Urgency of Cease-Fire and Hostage Release in Call With Netanyahu

President Joe Biden (R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on July 25, 2024. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

President Joe Biden has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about ending the ongoing war in Gaza and de-escalating tensions in the region, the White House has said.

According to an Aug. 21 statement from the White House, Biden had a phone call with Netanyahu and discussed the urgency of locking in a cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas sooner rather than later.

The two world leaders and allies also discussed obstacles to implementing such a deal at the upcoming talks in Cairo.

Hamas, a recognised terrorist organization, has controlled Gaza since 2006 but has refused to participate in the latest round of talks. Qatar is representing them through proxy. Israel will send a delegation and Egypt will mediate the negotiations alongside the United States and Qatar.

White House spokesperson Emilie Simons confirmed in an Aug. 21 statement on X that Biden “spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to discuss the cease-fire and hostage release deal and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.”

According to Simons, Vice President Kamala Harris also joined the call but the spokesperson did not provide any details about her direct involvement in the discussions.

Cease-fire talks have stalled in recent weeks over several key points, including whether Israeli troops will remain stationed at the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza after the war. Hamas insists that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) should fully withdraw.

However, Israel has expressed concern over Hamas regrouping the moment its troops leave. Netanyahu’s office has reiterated Israel’s determination to ensure that Hamas will no longer pose a threat to Israeli security.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel on Aug. 17 after the United States put forward a “bridging proposal,” to close the remaining gaps of disagreements between Israel and Hamas. He wrapped up his visit to the Middle East on Aug. 21 without a clear cease-fire deal in place.

US Support for Israel Ongoing

In their recent call, the White House said Netanyahu and Biden also talked about the United States’ support for Israel’s defense against all threats, including Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged significant attacks over the past two days. Hezbollah sent more than 200 projectiles into northern Israel on Aug. 20, and launched a salvo toward 50 private homes in the Golan Heights. Israel retaliated with an airstrike on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley that night.

Significant fighting in the Middle East was triggered when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, murdering 1,200—most of them civilians.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, over 40,000 people have been killed since the fighting began. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and noncombatants.