US president reiterates support for Israel but works to “protect civilians”
Israel prepares attack against Hamas in Gaza Strip. US President Joe Biden discussed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu US coordination with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other countries in the region to ensure innocent civilians have access to water, food and to medical care. The White House reports this in a note describing the phone call, underlining that Biden affirmed “his support for all efforts to protect civilians”.
The president then reiterated “the United States’ unwavering support for Israel and updated Netanyahu “on U.S. military support and reiterated his warning against anyone seeking to expand the conflict.” “As more information comes to light about the brutal atrocities committed by Hamas over the past week, Biden reiterated the need for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization that does not represent the aspirations of the Palestinian people,” the statement concludes.
Biden also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to whom, according to the White House note, “he illustrated the United States’ efforts to coordinate with partners in order to prevent the conflict from spreading”, while “the two leaders discussed the need to preserve stability in the West Bank and the region in general.”
Biden then condemned Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel and reiterated that “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.”
Abbas for his part informed the president “about his commitment to the region and his efforts to bring urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, particularly in Gaza”. And Biden offered Abbas and the Palestinian Authority his full support for these important and ongoing efforts, finally discussing U.S. efforts to work with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and others to ensure that humanitarian supplies reach civilians in Gaza.
Source-www.adnkronos.com