21.05.2021 – 08:23
President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed the ceasefire expected to end fighting between Israel and Hamas, saying he saw a “genuine opportunity” toward the ultimate goal of building a lasting peace in the Middle East.
President Biden hailed the contribution of the Egyptian government, which played a crucial role in mediating the ceasefire, and said he and senior White House aides had been intensively involved in an “hour-by-hour” effort to stop the bloodshed.
“I believe that the Palestinians and the Israelis deserve to live in safety and security, to enjoy an equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy,” said President Biden. “My administration will continue our calm, relentless diplomacy to achieve this goal.”
The president made a statement to the White House media shortly after Israel and Hamas announced that the ceasefire would take effect at 2 a.m. Friday, ending an 11-day war that destroyed a large part of the Belt. of Gaza and stopped most activities in most of Israel. The fighting left at least 227 dead in Gaza and 12 in Israel. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel accepted the Egyptian proposal after a late-night meeting of its security cabinet.
Hamas, a little later, did the same and said it would honor the deal.
Diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire escalated on Thursday following a call by President Joe Biden a day earlier to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease tensions and following statements by Hamas political official Moussa Abu Marzouk, who said he believed the ceasefire would to be achieved “within a day or two” ./ VOA
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