WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden on Sunday welcomed a truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants aimed at ending days of deadly conflict in Gaza, urging all parties to implement it fully.
The president said in a statement that Washington had worked with officials from the Jewish state, the Palestinian Authority and various countries in the region to “encourage a swift resolution to the conflict” over the previous three days.
“We also call on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides,” Biden added.
The president also lamented the injury and death of civilians in Gaza, but did not specify who was responsible. The violence has left at least 44 Palestinians dead, including 15 children.
“The reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza,” Biden said.
Since Friday, Israel has carried out heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation.
Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, while Israelis have been forced to shelter from a barrage of rockets.
“As I made clear during my recent trip to Israel and the West Bank, Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” added Biden, who traveled to the region last month.
© Agence France-Presse