President Joe Biden said Friday that he believes putting conditions on military aid to Israel is a “worthwhile thought,” and he hopes the Gaza cease-fire will last longer than four days.
Quick Read
Key Points on President Biden’s Statement about Military Aid to Israel and the Gaza Cease-fire:
- Consideration of Conditions on Military Aid: President Joe Biden expressed that putting conditions on military aid to Israel is a “worthwhile thought.” However, he did not elaborate on specific types of conditions that could be imposed.
- Optimism about Cease-fire Duration: Biden is hopeful that the current cease-fire in Gaza, initially set for four days, will be extended and lead to a more prolonged period of peace.
- Hostage Release Developments: The President mentioned the release of hostages as part of the cease-fire agreement, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thais, and one Filipino. In exchange, Israel has released 39 Palestinians from prison.
- Role of Qatar in Negotiations: Biden acknowledged Qatar’s critical role in brokering the cease-fire deal, emphasizing the country’s instrumental involvement in the negotiations and the release of hostages.
- Pragmatic Approach to Aid: Biden suggested that starting off discussions with conditions on military aid to Israel might have hindered the progress achieved so far in the cease-fire negotiations.
The Associated Press has the story:
Biden: Putting conditions on Military aid to Israel ‘Worthwhile Thought’
Newslooks- NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP)
President Joe Biden said Friday that he believes putting conditions on military aid to Israel is a “worthwhile thought,” and he hopes the Gaza cease-fire will last longer than four days.
Speaking to reporters from Nantucket, Massachusetts, Biden said he was encouraged by the release of some of the hostages and hopes for more.
“We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow, and more the day after, and more the day after that,” he said.
The freed hostages included 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines, according to Qatar, which was instrumental in brokering the deal to stop fighting. In return, Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.
Biden said that conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought, but I don’t think if I started off with that we would have ever gotten where we are today.”
He didn’t give any examples of possible conditions.
