Biden says 'key elements' of a Gaza deal are on the table as he meets with Jordan's King Abdullah
WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring that “each harmless life misplaced in Gaza is a tragedy,” President Joe Biden welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the White Home Monday for talks on learn how to finish the months-long struggle and plan for what comes afterward.
The assembly with Abdullah comes as Biden and his aides are working to dealer one other pause in Israel’s struggle towards Hamas so as to ship humanitarian help and provides into the area and get hostages out. The White Home faces rising criticism from Arab People over the administration’s continued assist for Israel within the face of rising casualties in Gaza since Hamas launched its Oct 7 assault on Israel.
“The important thing parts of the deal are on the desk,” Biden mentioned alongside the king, although “there are gaps that stay.” He mentioned the U.S. would do “all the pieces potential” to make an settlement occur: a pause to preventing for at the least six weeks and the discharge of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
A senior U.S. administration official mentioned Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and cellphone conversations, a framework was primarily in place for a deal. The official mentioned Israeli army stress on Hamas in Khan Younis during the last a number of week s has helped carry the militant group nearer to accepting an settlement.
Abdullah mentioned Biden’s management was “key to addressing this battle,” as he raised the plight of the tens of 1000’s of civilians killed and wounded within the preventing.
“We want an enduring cease-fire now,” the king mentioned. “This struggle should finish.”
Jordan and different Arab states have been extremely essential of Israel’s actions and have eschewed public assist for long-term planning over what occurs subsequent, arguing that the preventing should finish earlier than such discussions can start. They’ve been demanding a cease-fire since mid-October as civilian casualties started to skyrocket.
Biden’s stance marks a delicate however notable break for the president, who has continued to oppose a everlasting cease-fire. His administration has insisted that Hamas not retain political or army management over Gaza after the struggle — a key goal of the Israeli operation to forestall a repeat of the Oct. 7 assault that killed greater than 1,200 Israelis and noticed about 250 taken hostage.
Israel’s offensive has killed greater than 28,000 Palestinians within the territory, displaced over 80% of the inhabitants and set off a large humanitarian disaster. Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians, has mentioned nearly all of these killed are ladies and youngsters. Israel claims to have killed about 10,000 Hamas fighters however has not supplied proof.
Biden repeated his warning that Israel should not launch a full-scale assault on Rafah, the final main holdout of Hamas the place greater than 1.3 million individuals are sheltering except it devises plans to safeguard the civilians there from hurt’s method. Earlier Monday, Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledged there have been “reputable army targets” for Israel in Rafah, however mentioned the Israelis should guarantee their operations are designed to guard the lives of harmless civilians. Officers have mentioned the U.S. isn’t positive there’s a possible plan to relocate civilians out of Rafah to permit army operations to happen.
Biden, who has held out hope for a two-state answer to the Israeli-Palestinian battle, added that he and the king mentioned the necessity for the Palestinian Authority, which has some management over components of the West Financial institution, to “urgently reform” to be able to assume some authorities in Gaza if Hamas is faraway from energy. “They need to put together to construct a state that accepts peace, doesn’t harbor terrorist teams like Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” Biden mentioned.
Abdullah insisted that “Separation of the West Financial institution and Gaza can’t be accepted.”
Earlier Monday, Biden, joined by his spouse, Jill, welcomed the king, Queen Rania, and crown prince Hussein on the White Home earlier than the leaders met.
It was the primary assembly between the allies since three American troops have been killed final month in a drone strike towards a U.S. base in Jordan. Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the deaths, the primary for the U.S. after months of strikes by such teams towards American forces throughout the Center East because the begin of the Israel-Hamas struggle.
Biden had deliberate to go to Jordan throughout his journey to Israel in October shortly after the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas, however the journey was scrapped. On his method dwelling from Israel, Biden introduced he’d helped dealer the primary deal to pause preventing briefly and to open the crossing in Rafah to humanitarian help.
Within the months since, members of his administration have made repeated journeys to the area to interact with leaders there.
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AP writers Seung Min Kim and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.