Biden says Gaza ceasefire by Ramadan 'looking tough'
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Biden warned Friday that it would be "tough" to secure Gaza ceasefire by Ramadan.
WASHINGTON (Agencies) - US President Joe Biden warned Friday (Mar 8) that it would be "tough" to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"It's looking tough," Biden told reporters when asked if a deal to halt the five-month-old conflict could be achieved by Ramadan, which is due to start as early as Sunday depending on the sighting of the moon.
Biden added that "I sure am" worried about the possibility of violence in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as Ramadan approaches, adding to a similar warning earlier this week.
Hamas' armed wing on Friday urged supporters to mobilise towards the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem, a flashpoint for violence during Ramadan in past years.
It also said there would be no compromise on the movement's demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza to secure the release of hostages seized by Hamas.
The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the Palestinian militants' unprecedented attack on southern Israel on Oct 7.
With Gaza's humanitarian crisis growing more dire, Biden is increasingly showing impatience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His frustration with Netanyahu was laid bare after his State of the Union speech when he was overheard speaking to a senator.
As he was warned that his microphone remained on, Biden said: "I told him, Bibi, and don't repeat this, but you and I are going to have a 'come to Jesus' meeting," Biden said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. "I'm on a hot mic here. Good. That's good."
"Come to Jesus" is an American expression for having a blunt conversation.
The exchange was posted on social media by Democratic consultant Sawyer Hackett. In the video, Biden can be seen talking to Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennett, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Bennett can be heard telling Biden that there was a need to keep pushing Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The United States has been air-dropping crates of aid into Gaza and is organising the construction of a temporary pier to allow for maritime deliveries since Israel has slowed truck deliveries.
But the administration has given short shrift to activist calls to use one of the most significant forms of US leverage - cutting military aid - and the 81-year-old president told Congress that he remained a "lifelong supporter of Israel" second to none.
Biden nonetheless directly addressed the Israeli leadership in his speech, warning not to use aid as a "bargaining chip" in Gaza, where the vast majority of the two million people have been displaced and the United Nations has warned of famine risks.
PRESSURE
Anti-war protesters lined the streets of Washington for Biden's speech and critics of Israel, including Arab-Americans, have threatened to shun Biden in the November election in Michigan, crucial for his chances to beat Donald Trump.
In a letter this week, 37 Democratic lawmakers led by Representative Joaquin Castro urged the administration to use "every tool at your disposal" to ensure US weapons are not used in a potential Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, the southern city where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge.
Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East program at the Wilson Center, called the US military's relief efforts "last-resort attempts" to help Palestinians.
"For anyone who has been watching photos and coverage of the harrowing situation on the ground, I think this was, again, an indication that the United States will have to step in if the Israelis are not listening," said Khurma, a former Jordanian official.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier in the week met Benny Gantz, a centrist who has joined Netanyahu's war cabinet but has risen to the top of some polls on choice of prime minister.
US officials insist they were not courting Gantz but acknowledge privately that the former military chief was seeking to look like a future prime minister.
Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Biden had miscalculated with his early unstinting support for Israel.
Biden underestimated how Israel would "frame the conflict in terms of an existential struggle, which means he has actually limited influence over them", Cook said.
Cook said that while Biden has come under fire from the left, he is beginning to face criticism from Israel supporters who believe he is tilting too far to the Palestinians.
"It's really a lose-lose situation for the president. It'll have to be entirely up to him and his political people to decide which constituency he wants to upset more," he said.
