Israel-Gaza war: Joe Biden urges ‘pause’ in fighting for hostage release

US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, suggested that Israel and Hamas militants should 'pause' their ongoing conflict to facilitate the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. However, he refrained from endorsing a full ceasefire. Biden made these remarks while responding to a protester at a political fundraiser in Minneapolis. The president was in Minnesota to rally support for his economic policies and to raise funds for his re-election campaign. Progressive groups, as well as Muslim and Arab Americans, have expressed their disapproval of Biden's support for Israel's campaign against Hamas, which has led to the death of thousands of civilians in Gaza. The protester interrupted Biden, demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Biden responded by saying, 'I think we need a pause,' further explaining that a pause would provide time to release the prisoners. He claimed credit for persuading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay a ground invasion until the prisoners were released. He also mentioned his role in convincing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to allow foreigners and injured Palestinians to exit Gaza through Egypt. The White House has previously advocated for 'humanitarian pauses' to enable the delivery of aid into Gaza or to conduct evacuations, but has consistently declined to discuss a ceasefire, believing it would solely benefit Hamas. Earlier on Wednesday, Egypt opened its Rafah crossing with Gaza, allowing a group of people, including some Americans, to escape the conflict.

Biden encountered protests earlier on Wednesday in Minnesota over his endorsement of Israel's military offensive in retaliation to the October 7 Hamas massacre. The protester at the fundraiser identified themselves as a rabbi named Jessica Rosenberg. Biden acknowledged the emotional intensity of the situation, stating, 'This is incredibly complicated for the Israelis. It's incredibly complicated for the Muslim world as well. ' At the Minneapolis fundraiser, Biden expressed his support for a two-state solution, which would result in the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. However, he defended Israel's right to retaliate against Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union, after militants killed approximately 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took around 240 people hostage. 'The fact is the matter is that Hamas is a terrorist organisation. A flat-out terrorist organisation,' the president reiterated.