Barack Obama backs ceasefire plan presented by Biden
The former US president says the Gaza war endgame presented by Biden is “clear, realistic and just”.
Obama said it won’t undo the impact of the devastating war but could stop the killing and get aid to desperate Palestinians.
“As the tragedy in Gaza has unfolded over the past eight months, we’ve witnessed an often fierce public debate here at home – and around the world – regarding how the United States should respond. But no matter where each of us stand in these broader debates, an enduring ceasefire is something we should all support – for the sake of Israelis, Palestinians and the world at large.”
Today, President Biden put forward a clear, realistic and just plan to establish an immediate ceasefire and end the war in Gaza - a plan that ensures Israel’s security, returns hostages taken on October 7th to their families, increases aid into Gaza and relieves the suffering of…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 31, 2024
It's the same ceasefire endgame plan as in December, but hey it's Biden saying it now... Now tell Israel to accept the deal.
Biden announcement acknowledges ‘failure of the Israeli war on Gaza’
Mustafa Barghouti from the Palestinian National Initiative says after Biden’s new truce deal announcement what needs to be heard is if Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “really accepts his own offer – if it is his own offer”.
“Hamas and other resistance groups must insist on a clear statement by Netanyahu that he is really supporting this particular proposal,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.
He said a crucial point about Biden’s announcement is that it shows that “Israel and the United States are both admitting failure of the Israeli war on Gaza in the sense it’s failed to achieve all its goals”.
Barking up the wrong tree again
Blinken tells Jordanian FM ceasefire deal would allow ‘surge’ of aid to Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has “emphasised” to Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi that Hamas should accept a new US-backed ceasefire deal tabled by Israel, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Miller said the deal would “facilitate a surge of humanitarian assistance” to Gaza and allow “displaced Palestinians to return to their neighbourhoods”.
Blinken wrote in his own post on X that he had spoken with several of his “counterparts in the region” about the proposal.
“We have a chance to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people with [the] ceasefire deal that is on the table,” he said.
.@SecBlinken discussed with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi how the ceasefire proposal on the table would facilitate a surge of humanitarian assistance, allow displaced Palestinians to return to their neighborhoods, and begin the reconstruction of Gaza. He emphasized that Hamas…
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) June 1, 2024
I guess we'll see tomorrow whether Ben Gvir and Smotrich can be persuaded since they hold the key to Netanyahu staying in power.
Meanwhile
Clashes reported as Israeli forces storm Jenin area
The Israeli military has stormed the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp, resulting in an outbreak of confrontations with Palestinian groups, the Wafa news agency reports.
Israeli forces have also stormed the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin, deploying snipers on the roofs of buildings, flying drones, and raiding several homes, resulting in clashes with Palestinian groups.
Israeli raids have been reported elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, including:
- The Shuweika suburb, north of Tulkarem
- The Jaidi neighbourhood of Qalqilya
- The town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron
تغطية صحفية: من بلدة كفردان غرب جنين والاشتباكات المستمرة. pic.twitter.com/R8TDF8V7Cc
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) June 1, 2024
