Biden falsely claiming credit for halt to Gaza hostilities

Egypt again plays the central role in brokering an end to hostilities in Gaza, but Biden claims credit

By World Israel News Staff

Israel and the Iran-backed terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad entered into another Egyptian-brokered “ceasefire” early Friday morning, but U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to claim that his administration was responsible.

Under the agreement, both sides agreed to stop shooting at each other as of 2 a.m., but earlier on Thursday, Biden spoke at the White House and implied that it was his team that achieved a truce.

Biden thanked Egyptian officials for what he termed their “critical role” in ending the fighting but then went on to describe what he said was the intensive work done by his own administration, Fox News reported.

“Over the last 11 days, I spoke with the prime minister [Netanyahu] six times. I’ve also spoken with President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority more the once in part of our intense diplomatic engagement,” Biden said in a special address to the press about the Gaza ceasefire.

“And I want to also thank secretary of state, the secretary of defense, our national security adviser, and everyone on our team for their incredible efforts to bring this about, this outcome that we’re about to see,” he continued.

“You know, we’ve held intensive, high-level discussions, hour by hour, literally, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and other Middle Eastern countries, with an aim of avoiding this sort of prolonged conflict we’ve seen in previous years when the hostilities have broken out.”

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu noted that it was not Washington, but Cairo that had brokered the arrangement. In a statement issued late Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel would “accept the Egyptian initiative for a mutual ceasefire without pre-conditions.”

In his comments, Biden also said the U.S. would help Israel replenish the interceptor rockets needed for its Iron Dome system, thousands of which were fired to knock down most of the more than 4,000 rockets that Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired at Israeli towns and cities over the past 11 days, targeting civilians.

“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks from Hamas,” Biden said, adding that the Iron Dome, built with help from the U.S., “has saved the lives of countless Israeli citizens, Arab and Jew.”

“I send my sincere condolences to all the families, Israeli and Palestinian, who have lost loved ones and my hope for a full recovery for the wounded,” Biden said. “The United States is committed to working with the United Nations, and we remain committed to working with the United Nations and other international stakeholders to provide rapid humanitarian assistance and to marshal international support for the people of Gaza and the Gaza reconstruction efforts.”

Biden did make a point of saying his administration will not be talking with the terrorists.

“We will do this in full partnership with the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal,” Biden said.