AP Photo/Evan Vucci
- On Thursday, Biden lauded the recently announced ceasefire in a 4-minute speech. He did not take questions.
- Biden faced criticism from some Democrats for being slow to forcefully call for a ceasefire.
- Biden added that in the last 11 days, he spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu six times.
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In a roughly 4-minute statement, President Joe Biden lauded the cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel on Thursday in his first public remarks about the recent violence.
Biden said he has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu six times in the last 11 days, and he added that he spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Thursday as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Biden called for “full cooperation,” with Palestinians and Israelis, and added that his administration would coordinate with the Palestinian Authority to send aid to the Gaza Strip for its reconstruction following Israeli airstrikes.
“I believe the Palestinians and Israelis, equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” Biden said.
Israel and the militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire on Thursday after Israel’s security cabinet voted to approve the truce, and Hamas officials told Reuters the ceasefire would be “mutual and simultaneous.” The ceasefire is scheduled to take effect at 2 a.m. local time on Friday.
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