Source de l’image：https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-war-gaza-ceasefire-f90f323b350cc2e164b0fecd942451b9
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but stopped short of demanding an immediate end to the fighting, according to the White House.
Biden’s backing of a ceasefire came as pressure mounted on the United States to help end the violence in Gaza, where more than 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and 12 Israelis have been killed in rocket attacks.
The White House said in a statement that Biden had “expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed U.S. engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end.”
The U.S. president also reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks, according to the statement.
The call between Biden and Netanyahu came as the Biden administration is facing growing criticism from the Democratic Party for its handling of the crisis in Gaza. Several Democratic lawmakers have called for an immediate ceasefire and for the U.S. to take a more active role in mediating the conflict.
Biden has been under pressure to take a stronger stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict, with many progressives in his party accusing him of being too soft on Israel and too slow to act.
The president has said that he supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but has also called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and for the protection of civilians on both sides.
Biden’s call for a ceasefire is the strongest statement yet from the White House on the conflict, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough to bring an end to the violence in Gaza.