Biden speaks with Netanyahu on Gaza attacks, Palestinian state

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, January 19, 2024. ― Reuters pic

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WASHINGTON, Jan 20 ― US President Joe Biden yesterday said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu about possible solutions for creation of an independent state for Palestinians, noting that not all countries have their own militaries.

Biden's call with Netanyahu was the first in nearly a month, the White House said, noting the discussions focused on Israel's ongoing strikes in Gaza.

White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Biden had been trying to schedule the call “for quite a bit of time” and denied it came in response to Netanyahu's comment on Thursday saying he objected to Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel's security.

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Asked if a two-state solution was impossible while Netanyahu was still in office, Biden said, “No, it's not.”

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with US mayors, Biden said Netanyahu was not opposed to all two-state solutions, and there were a number of types possible, adding that some United Nations members do not have military forces.

Biden was asked if he would reconsider conditions on Israel aid given Netanyahu's comments rejecting a two-state solution.

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“I think we'll be able to work something out ... I think there's ways in which this could work,” he said.

Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts to secure the remaining hostages held by Hamas, and Israel's shift to more “targeted” operations in Gaza to allow more humanitarian assistance to come through, the White House said.

Biden has been pressuring Israel to reduce Palestinian deaths even as he has maintained his strong support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

But the two men do not see eye-to-eye on Palestinians having a state, a solution Biden has advocated to achieve long-term peace.

“The president also discussed his vision for a more durable peace and security for Israel fully integrated within the region and a two state-solution with Israel’s security guaranteed,” the White House said in a statement about their call.

Netanyahu had said in a press conference that he told Washington he objected to any Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel's security. “Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River. That's a necessary condition,” he said.

Biden's call came as Red Crescent officials reported “intense gunfire from the Israeli drones targeting citizens at Al-Amal Hospital” in Khan Younis, the main city in the southern part of Gaza.

Israel launched a major new advance in Khan Younis this week to capture the city, which it says is now the primary base of Hamas fighters who attacked Israeli towns on October 7, killing 1,200 and precipitating a war that has devastated the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza health ministry said 142 Palestinians had been killed and 278 injured in Gaza over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll from more than three months of war to 24,762.

Asked about a request by Mexico and Chile for the International Criminal Court to investigate potential crimes against civilians in Gaza, Kirby said the United States was still gathering more information about what that would entail.

“We don't have any indications that there's deliberate ... efforts to commit war crimes by the Israeli Defense Forces,” Kirby said.

A Palestinian-American teenager was killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank on Friday, Palestinian health officials said.

“We're seriously concerned about these reports,” Kirby said. ― Reuters