U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes the recently announced ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, saying it is the result of pressure and isolation exerted on Hamas as well as determined U.S. diplomacy, reports UNN.
“This deal will stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip, increase much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian citizens, and reunite hostages with their families after more than 15 months of captivity,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden says he laid out the “precise contours” of the agreement in a speech last May and that the proposal was approved by the U.N. Security Council.
The U.S. president says today's agreement is “not only the result of the extraordinary pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation following the cease-fire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran - but also the result of persistent and painstaking American diplomacy,” he says. “My diplomacy has never stopped working to make this happen.
“Even as we welcome this news, we remember all the families whose loved ones were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack and the many innocents killed in the war that followed,” Biden said.
“I also think of the American families, three of whom have live hostages in Gaza and four of whom are waiting for the return of remains after what was the most horrific ordeal imaginable. As part of this deal, we are determined to bring them all home,” he continued.
“It's long past time to stop fighting and start working to build peace and security,” Biden adds, noting that he will speak publicly about the deal soon.