GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, dismissed US President Joe Biden’s recent comments about the possibility of Israel agreeing to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Biden had mentioned after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it was still possible for Netanyahu to consider some form of a two-state solution.
In response, al-Rishq stated in a press release, “The illusion that Biden is preaching about a state of Palestine and its characteristics does not fool our people. Biden is a full partner in the genocidal war, and our people do not expect any good from him.”
Disagreements exist over Gaza’s governance, with the United States urging Israel to protect civilians. President Biden expressed that it might still be possible for Netanyahu to agree to some form of Palestinian state despite Netanyahu’s recent statements on security control.
Biden’s remarks came amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with the US president suggesting that there are various forms of a two-state solution. The call between Biden and Netanyahu occurred as the Israeli leader expressed his opposition to allowing Palestinian sovereignty.
More Than 24,927 Palestinians Killed in Gaza
Since October 7, Israel has been conducting a relentless air and ground offensive, resulting in the death of at least 24,927 Palestinians, with 70% being women, children, and adolescents, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.
The Gaza Strip continues to witness intense fighting, with the health ministry reporting a surge in the Palestinian death toll. Over the past 24 hours, at least 165 people were killed, marking a significant increase compared to previous days.
Israeli air strikes and tank shelling continued on Saturday, particularly in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city. The ongoing conflict has further heightened tensions, with an Israeli strike in Damascus killing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ spy chief for Syria and three other Guards members.
The United Nations estimates that the conflict has displaced 1.7 million Palestinian people, with one million crowded into the Rafah area in Gaza’s far south, near Egypt. Urgent calls for better aid access, including through Israel’s Ashdod port, have been made as famine and disease loom.
Meanwhile, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops and settlers have killed over 360 people since October 7. The White House expressed serious concern over reports of a Palestinian teenager with US citizenship being killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank.
