Biden Pushes for Gaza Ceasefire Amid Lebanon Truce As Hamas Resistance Continues

 

By Joshua Omoniyi 

Washington, D.C. - In a significant diplomatic move, President Joe Biden has said the US will make another push with regional powers for a ceasefire in Gaza, seeking the release of hostages and the removal of Hamas from power.

Biden's remarks come just hours after a ceasefire came into force in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, ending nearly 14 months of conflict. The US president is hoping that the Lebanon truce could pave the way for a similar deal in Gaza, where the conflict between Israel and Hamas has been raging for over a year.

"Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power," Biden said on X.

The latest round of fighting in Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages. Since then, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 44,000 people and left over 104,000 injured, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden had agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the announcement of the Lebanon ceasefire to try again for a Gaza agreement, which negotiators have sought unsuccessfully for months.

The argument is that the truce in Lebanon shows compromises are possible and that Hamas may now feel more isolated, putting pressure on it to agree to concessions. However, the goals of the Israeli government in Lebanon were always more limited than those in Gaza, where it has failed to agree a post-war plan.

Hamas has reacted positively to the Lebanon ceasefire, expressing its commitment to cooperate with any efforts to stop the fire in Gaza. The group has also indicated its willingness to make substantial concessions, but remains unwilling to agree to terms it perceives as surrender.

The Biden administration is making a last-ditch effort to work on a Gaza truce deal before the incoming Trump administration takes office. However, it remains to be seen how much of a priority this will be for the new administration, as Trump has expressed an interest in ending the fighting in Lebanon.

As the diplomatic efforts continue, the people of Gaza remain concerned about the possibility of the conflict reigniting, with some fearing that the ceasefire in Lebanon could actually make it more possible for Israel to continue fighting in Gaza.