TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President Joe Biden in a phone call on Saturday that he opposes the idea of Palestinian sovereignty in the Gaza Strip. The conversation between the two leaders took place on Friday. Following the call, Biden expressed optimism that Netanyahu might still consider some form of a Palestinian state.
On Saturday Netanyahu’s office issued a statement, stating that during the call, the Prime Minister reiterated his stance that Israel must maintain security control over Gaza even after the destruction of Hamas. This condition, aimed at preventing future threats to Israel, contradicts the Palestinian demand for sovereignty over the region.
Earlier in the week, Netanyahu had similarly rejected the idea of Palestinian sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, emphasizing Israel’s need for “security control over all the territory west of the (River) Jordan.”
After Friday’s call, Biden suggested that Netanyahu could eventually agree to a two-state solution, a concept long considered by diplomats as a potential path to peace in the Middle East. Biden pointed out that there are various types of two-state solutions, including those where countries lack their own militaries.
Hamas Rejects Biden’s Comments on Palestinian State
Reacting to Biden’s comments, a senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, dismissed the possibility of Israel agreeing to the establishment of a Palestinian state. In a statement, al-Rishq stated, “The illusion that Biden is preaching about a state of Palestine and its characteristics does not fool our people,” adding that Biden is viewed as a “full partner in the genocidal war,” and the Palestinian people do not expect any positive outcomes 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.
The region remains tense as Israel continues a relentless air and ground offensive since October 7, resulting in the killing of at least 24,927 Palestinians, mostly women and children, 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.
