Harris joins Biden for Netanyahu ceasefire call
By
Christian Datoc
July 4, 2024 3:43 pm
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President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday during a phone call in which the two leaders discussed the progress made in reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to the White House.
The call, which comes at a low point in Biden’s term in office with the president fighting to maintain the support of Democratic power players following his disastrous performance in the first 2024 presidential debate, was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, according to multiple reports.
The White House did not confirm Harris’s participation in the call, but Fox News reported that Harris routinely takes part in the president’s calls with his Israeli counterpart, joining more than 20 such conversations since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.
Senior White House officials briefed reporters on the contents of the call Thursday afternoon, specifically how Biden and Netanyahu worked through a “critical impasse” in the latest ceasefire proposal put forth by Hamas.
The White House sounded optimistic about a “pretty significant opening” toward reaching a ceasefire framework on the part of the Israelis. Officials said this latest offer marked “significant adjustments” from Hamas’s previous stance and that the only roadblocks toward adopting the framework centered on finalizing the “implementation” timeline.
Tensions have increased between Biden and Netanyahu in recent weeks, despite the president throwing the full backing of the United States behind Israel’s early efforts to root Hamas out of Gaza.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3070561/harris-joins-biden-netanyahu-ceasefire-call/
