By Gloria Ogbonna

President Joe Biden stated on Monday that he is open to ceasefire discussions between Israel and Hamas on the condition that the Palestinian terrorist organization releases all the hostages it is holding in Gaza.

Biden’s comments are at odds with Israel’s objective of dismantling Hamas following the October 7th terrorist attack, in which the group killed over 1,400 people, injured more than 4,000, and took more than 200 hostages.

According to The Times of Israel:

“US President Joe Biden says any discussions about a Gaza ceasefire can only take place if Hamas frees all hostages seized from Israel in its October 7 attack.

‘We should have those hostages released, and then we can talk,’ Biden says at a White House event when asked if he would support a ‘hostages-for-ceasefire’ deal.”

This comment suggests that the US may not support Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas if the 220 people kidnapped by the group are released.

Two weeks ago, Biden expressed that Israel had not only a “right” but a “duty” to combat Hamas, which was met with gratitude from Israelis. However, some are now beginning to doubt whether he intends to uphold his promise.

One theory, widely discussed in the Israeli media, is that Biden aims to provide such strong verbal support for Israel that it cannot take practical military actions to defend itself.

It is possible that Biden is using this stance to facilitate the release of the hostages before an Israeli ground invasion.

Nonetheless, under the current circumstances, this approach would effectively allow Hamas to claim victory in the conflict by restoring the old status quo, which Israel has stated it cannot accept.

source breitbrat