Washington is not currently pushing to stop hearing the sound of weapons in Gaza. The United States warned on Monday that any ceasefire decreed by Israel would benefit Hamas, at a time when calls for a humanitarian truce are becoming more and more numerous.
A ceasefire “would give Hamas the opportunity to rest, re-equip itself and prepare to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “You can fully understand why this situation is intolerable for Israel, as it would be for any country that suffered such a brutal terrorist attack and continues to see the threat of terrorism on its border,” he said. .
The EU leans towards a “humanitarian pause”
Previously on Monday, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, estimated that the leaders of the Twenty-Seven could support a call for a “humanitarian pause” to encourage the arrival of aid in the Gaza Strip, besieged by the Israeli army. “I think that the idea of a humanitarian pause to facilitate the arrival of aid (…) is something that the leaders will support,” declared Josep Borrell after a meeting in Luxembourg of the ministers of Foreign affairs of EU member states.
The American spokesperson further indicated that the United States was working separately to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and that the American special envoy, David Satterfield, was working there “intensively”.
Two female hostages released
On Monday, Joe Biden also set his conditions for a truce. Asked about his support for a “hostages for ceasefire” agreement, the American president replied that “the hostages must be released, then we can discuss”. His statements came shortly after Hamas announced the release of two female hostages kidnapped in Israel.
The Hebrew State has identified more than 220 Israeli, foreign or binational hostages. They were kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas in an unprecedented bloody attack on October 7, which sparked a war, with Israel shelling from the Gaza Strip to “wipe out” the Islamist movement.