Biden: "Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Extension to Expand Humanitarian Aid"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The United States has welcomed the news of the extension of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas. President Joe Biden emphasized his administration's plan to maximize humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians during this ceasefire period.

In a statement released on the 27th (local time), President Biden said, "We are making the most of the ceasefire to increase the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, and we will continue to work toward building a future of peace and dignity for the Palestinian people." He added, "The humanitarian ceasefire has enabled a significant expansion of humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians suffering throughout the Gaza Strip."

Earlier, Majid Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been mediating the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations between Israel and Hamas, announced via social media platform X that "an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for two more days." Accordingly, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began at 7 a.m. on the 24th, will now continue until the morning of the 30th.

In response, President Biden expressed gratitude to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, stating, "We will not stop until all hostages held by Hamas terrorists are released."

John Kirby, the White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, also welcomed the ceasefire extension during a briefing the same day, saying, "Of course, we want to see the ceasefire extended further. It will depend on whether Hamas continues to release hostages." He confirmed that the U.S. security team will remain engaged to help ensure the ceasefire extension continues. However, Israel has stated that it will resume hostilities once the exchange of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian detainees in Israel is completed.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres welcomed the two-day ceasefire extension but noted that it does not provide sufficient time for humanitarian aid. Speaking to reporters at the UN, he said, "It is insufficient to meet the urgent needs of the entire population," but emphasized, "I hope the ceasefire extension will be an opportunity to increase humanitarian assistance to the suffering people of Gaza." He also expressed hope that, taking advantage of the ceasefire extension, aid deliveries could be arranged through other border crossings besides the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.