Israel continues its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, aiming to eliminate Hamas, the Palestinian militant group. This ongoing conflict has tragically led to the loss of over 46,000 lives, drawing widespread international condemnation.
In response, U.S. President Joe Biden has called for an immediate ceasefire, urging an end to the violence during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Reuters on January 13.
With Donald Trump set to take office on January 20, Biden, who will step down on the same day, is making a final push to secure the release of detainees in Gaza and broker a ceasefire before he leaves office. Following their conversation, the White House released a statement confirming that the two leaders discussed efforts to halt the fighting and negotiate the release of detained individuals.
Biden emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, underlining its importance for delivering humanitarian aid and ensuring the safe return of detainees. Netanyahu, in his update to Biden, shared progress on the ceasefire talks and announced plans to send a high-level security delegation to Doha, Qatar, to move forward with the detainee release agreement.
The leaders also touched on wider regional matters, such as the shifts in Lebanon, the potential downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s influence in the region.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Israel has launched continuous air and ground strikes on Gaza, causing widespread destruction. Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, and refugee camps, have been damaged or destroyed.
Health authorities in Gaza report that over 46,500 people, mostly women and children, have lost their lives in the conflict. Additionally, hundreds of thousands have been injured. More than 10,000 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Despite calls for an immediate ceasefire from the United Nations Security Council, Israel’s assault continues unabated. Israel has faced accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
