President Joe Biden said Monday he pushed back on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and called on Hamas to release the hostages its militants had captured from Israel – “then we’ll talk.”
He made the remarks at the White House shortly after it was reported that Hamas had released two hostages held in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, bringing the total number of hostages released to four.
He was asked about releasing hostages for a ceasefire at the end of an event on his economic agenda.
“We should release these hostages and then we will talk,” Biden replied.
President Joe Biden called on Hamas to release hostages when asked about a ceasefire
Israel is demanding the release of all an estimated 200 hostages seized in the cross-border raid by Hamas militants. It has called up reserves and massed troops at the border while simultaneously attacking targets in the Gaza Strip.
Biden ended his remarks at an event meant to tout his “Bidenomics” agenda by pointing to a national security development.
“My apologies, I have to go to the situation room because of another issue I need to deal with,” he said.
His event began Monday nearly an hour after the scheduled start time, after the first news reported the release of another pair of hostages.
Last week, Hamas released two American terrorists as the Biden administration negotiated to help secure the first convoy of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The president spoke as protesters called for a ceasefire while some members of the “force” accused both Hamas and the Israeli government of “war crimes.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said repeatedly on Monday that the administration’s goal was to provide Israel with the tools it needs while also providing aid to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip and securing the release of hostages.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the latest number of Americans still missing after October 7th is 10.
Kirby repeated that number on Monday. He said the number of Americans believed to be held captive is still “about a handful.”
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza, October 20, 2023. Biden called for the release of hostages when asked about a ceasefire
Biden called for the release of more hostages days after the release of Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter Natalie Shoshana Raanan. They are among an estimated 200 hostages taken by Hamas militants in a brazen attack in Israel
Hamas announced on Monday the release of two elderly Israeli hostages
At the briefing he was asked about a call by UN organizations for a “humanitarian ceasefire”.
“What we want now is to ensure that Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself and take action against Hamas.” And that humanitarian aid continues to flow. Now it has started and it is a good thing. We want to keep it going and keep it sustainable. That’s what we’re concentrating on.
He did not answer directly when asked whether Israel complied with international law. President Biden has repeatedly said the U.S. stands with Israel, but has also spoken publicly about the importance of democracies abiding by the rules of war.
“We’re not going to compartmentalize every single event that happens on the battlefield, especially because we’re not there,” Kirby said. “All I can tell you is that we have not had a conversation with Israeli colleagues – at all levels – where we talked not only about what they want to do, but also how.” “They want to do it,” Kirby said.
Biden was also asked about his conversation with Pope Francis. According to the Holy See, the two spoke for 20 minutes on Sunday about “the need to find paths to peace.”
“The pope and I are in agreement,” Biden said. He said the pope was “very interested” in the crises we face, including in Israel.
Biden said he “laid out the plan” to him, including providing the help Israel needed.
“The pope has supported us across the board,” Biden said.
According to an official White House statement released on Sunday, Biden “condemned Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israeli civilians, reiterated the need to protect civilians in Gaza, and discussed his efforts to ensure the delivery of food and medicine to Gaza, as well as the Necessity.” to “prevent escalation” and work toward “lasting peace.”