Biden says the Gaza incident will complicate ceasefire negotiations as his administration feels in crisis after the killing of dozens of Palestinians

Washington
CNN
—

The urgency to negotiate a cease-fire comes after Israeli forces opened fire at a food distribution site in the Gaza Strip, causing panic as civilians gathered around a food aid truck, killing more than 100 Palestinians. President Joe Biden told reporters that negotiations on a ceasefire could be complicated. on Thursday.

“We’re looking at it right now, but there are two competing versions of what happened. We don’t have answers yet,” the president told CNN’s Arlette Saenz at the White House.

Asked if the deaths would complicate negotiations, he said: “Yeah, I know it will.”

At least 100 people were killed at the distribution site when Israeli forces opened fire while civilians were waiting for food, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Local journalists said many of the dead were trapped under aid trucks as they tried to escape the gunfire.

The Israel Defense Forces said: “The incident is under investigation.”

Nearly five months after Israel’s war with Hamas began, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, with authorities warning the region is on the brink of unrelenting starvation and thousands of people More than 30,000 people, including children, have died, and hundreds of thousands have starved to death. Israeli ground and air operations.

Israel faces increasing global pressure to end the conflict but has largely maintained U.S. support. President Joe Biden has resisted calls for a permanent ceasefire.

Biden’s reluctance to break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could cost him politically. The president won the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan on Tuesday, but more than 100,000 people turned out to vote as Arab-American leaders pressed for voters to express dissatisfaction with Biden’s Israel policy. Michiganders voted “irresponsible.” Michigan will be a crucial state for Biden in the general election.

Progress has been made in ceasefire talks in recent weeks, but Hamas officials warned Thursday’s killings could lead to negotiations failing.

Biden spoke Thursday with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, which play key roles in the negotiations, White House officials said.

The situation “gives added urgency to the process,” a senior government official told CNN.

In a conversation between Biden and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the two leaders said, “We grieve the loss of civilian life, and this incident is critical to ending negotiations as soon as possible and ensuring humanitarian access to Gaza.” “We agreed that this underscores the urgency to expand the flow of aid,” the White House said in a readout.

So was his telephone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to a White House statement. Biden also thanked al-Sisi for his “leadership in providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”

For weeks, top officials on Biden’s national security team have been closely involved in facilitating negotiations between Israel and Hamas that would lead to a multi-week cessation of fighting and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. This is the first ceasefire in the war since late November.

Biden himself said this week that he expected a ceasefire to be reached by next Monday, a comment that surprised some negotiators. The White House said Wednesday that the president continues to feel “optimistic” about the timeline.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council said the White House was investigating what happened as “serious.”

“We mourn the loss of innocent lives and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are simply trying to feed their families. , underlines the importance of increasing and sustaining the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. We continue to work day and night to achieve that outcome,” the spokesperson said.

Biden continued to express optimism Thursday that an agreement on hostages and a possible ceasefire could be reached soon, but perhaps not as quickly as originally hoped. .

“Hope springs eternal,” Biden said. “I’ve been on the phone with people in the area. It may not arrive by Monday yet, but I’m hopeful.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.