Abbas and Biden Discuss Gaza Crisis, Aid Plans

In a recent telephonic conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, unequivocally denounced the idea of forcibly removing residents of Gaza from their homes, according to an official statement from his office.

U.S. Navigates Gaza Crisis, Backs Both Sides

During the call, President Biden expressed his commitment to help the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, in delivering essential humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is under Hamas control. The White House’s summary of the conversation also indicated that the U.S. has been collaborating with various international entities such as the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel to make sure humanitarian aid reaches the people in Gaza. However, Israel has stipulated that it won’t allow essentials like electricity, water, or food into Gaza until hostages taken by Hamas the previous Saturday are released.

In a separate discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Friday, President Abbas warned that any compliance with Israel’s evacuation orders for northern Gaza would be tantamount to a “second Nakba.” This term refers to the forced expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland between 1947 and 1948 by Israel.

Additionally, President Biden had a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. During the call, Biden assured further logistical support to the Israel Defense Forces and emphasized that “unity and determination” were necessary for Israel to achieve its military objectives. Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to Biden, as per an official statement from his office.

The U.S. has consistently vowed to support Israel’s large-scale response to Hamas’ recent attack, which resulted in a devastating loss of at least 1,300 Israeli lives. Israel’s subsequent airstrikes on Gaza, described as the most severe in the territory’s history, have led to approximately 1,900 Palestinian deaths and have displaced over 430,000 residents in the densely-populated area.

On Thursday, Israel directed 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to evacuate. This directive has been criticized by the United Nations and various international human rights organizations, accusing Israel of engaging in aggravated ethnic cleansing. Nevertheless, Washington and several European nations maintain that Israel’s actions represent justifiable self-defense.