WASHINGTON, USA: US President Joe Biden held discussions on Monday with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK to address the escalating tensions in the Middle East and to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. In a joint statement released by the White House, the leaders of these five nations supported a call by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to renew talks for a Gaza ceasefire, emphasizing the urgency of concluding a deal as quickly as possible.
Biden had previously outlined a three-phase ceasefire proposal on May 31, which has faced numerous challenges in negotiations. Despite these obstacles, Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar have scheduled a new round of talks for Thursday. The joint statement underscored that “there is no further time to lose” in achieving peace.
The statement also reaffirmed support for Israel against potential Iranian threats while stressing the importance of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The risk of a broader Middle East conflict has intensified following the recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, which have provoked threats of retaliation against Israel.
The current crisis began on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and the taking of around 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have led to over 40,000 Palestinian deaths mostly women and children and displaced almost the entire population of 2.3 million, sparking a severe humanitarian crisis and accusations of genocide, which Israel has denied.
