President Joe Biden recently got 5 American hostages released from Iran by unfreezing $6 billion belonging to Iran but held because of sanctions violations, with the massive amount to be used for “humanitarian” reasons. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed no such propensity to negotiation when on a phone call with President Joe Biden about the Hamas attacks over the weekend, saying instead that a massive use of force was about to occur.
News on that comes from Axios, which reported on the Netanyahu-Biden phone call. That call came amidst a massive mobilization of the Israeli military, with hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers called up for duty, the largest in decades, as Israel prepares for an iron-gloved strike into Gaza and attempts to deter Hezbollah from getting involved.
Axios, reporting on the call, claims that Biden was focused on the hostages Hamas dragged back into GAza after its lightning strike: “During his call with Netanyahu, Biden raised the issue of Israeli hostages in Gaza, according to the three sources,” Axios reported.
Netanyahu, however, was focused on war rather than negotiation. “We have to go in. We can’t negotiate now,” Axios reports Netanyahu said. Continuing, Axios claims that Netanyahu stuck by his hardline stance while on the phone with Biden, saying, “We need to restore deterrence” because Israel is surrounded and outnumbered by enemies.
That wasn’t the first phone call Biden and Netanyahu had on the subject. Their first occurred on the 7th of October, with the two leaders discussing the fluid situation and Netanyahu reassuring President Biden that Israel would prove victorious in the end.
Biden. in a statement on the phone call, said, “This morning, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel. The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.“
Continuing, the statement added, “Jill and I are keeping in our prayers all of the families who have been hurt by this violence. We are heartbroken by the lives that have been tragically cut short and hope for a swift recovery for all those who have been wounded.”
Ending, Biden vowed that his team would keep well-acquainted with the on-the-ground situation, saying, “My team and I are tracking this situation closely, and I will remain in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
The back and forth between the two leaders comes as Israel mobilizes, Hezbollah appears posed to intervene from the north, and hundreds of dead are already being recorded on each side of the latest flare-up in violence of the long-running conflict.
Featured image credit: By Pete Souza – White House (P032013PS-0408), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25219364
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