Biden signals hopeful developments in Gaza humanitarian pause

Amid the concerns over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, US President Joe Biden on Saturday suggested that progress has been made on the issue of providing a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip.
On being asked if any progress had been made on the issue, Biden replied “yes” as he left a church in Delaware and offered a ‘thumbs up’ before getting into his vehicle. However, he did not provide any further details, a news channel reported.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his meetings with key Middle Eastern leaders, reiterated Washington’s stance against an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
Instead of endorsing a ceasefire, Blinken emphasised the importance of “humanitarian pauses,” a concept that has faced opposition from Israeli officials, as reported by news channel.
Blinken expressed concerns that a premature ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup and attack Israel once again. However, this position has put the US at odds with its Arab partners, including those with whom he convened in Amman, Jordan, news channel reported.
Blinken said he and his counterparts “all agreed on the importance of using our respective influence and capabilities to deter any state or non-state actor from opening another front in this conflict.”
“Throughout this conflict, countries across the Middle East and beyond have played an essential role in preventing its spread,” Blinken said at a news conference in Amman.
Blinken and his counterparts discussed the need to deter any state or non-state actor from expanding the conflict, with a shared commitment to preventing the Israel-Hamas war from escalating further. The US has been warning Israel’s adversaries, including Hezbollah, against widening the conflict into a broader Middle East war.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that he expects American citizens to exit on Wednesday and more to depart over the coming days.
“Today, thanks to American leadership, we secured safe passage for wounded Palestinians and for foreign nationals to exit Gaza. We expect American citizens to exit today, and we expect to see more depart over the coming days. We won’t let up working to get Americans out of Gaza,” President Biden posted on X.
The Israeli military continues to maintain a blockade and launch airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to a cross-border terrorist attack initiated by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Despite calls for a ceasefire from Hamas, humanitarian organisations, and a substantial portion of the global community, Israel’s government has firmly rejected such appeals. They have committed to eliminating Hamas following the brutal attack last month, which claimed the lives of over 1,400 civilians, news channel reported.