BY : Kanwal Abidi. |
White House: Office of the Vice President USA : Thanks to the leadership of President Joe Biden, a ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. I thank the mediators – Emir al-Thani of Qatar and President el-Sisi of Egypt – and I am grateful for the work of U.S. officials whose diligent diplomacy allowed us to arrive at this significant moment.
Doug and I pray for all the hostages, and we are grateful that some, including Americans, will soon be reunited with their loved ones. In my meetings with the families of American hostages, I vowed they will never be in this fight alone. President Biden and I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans, and are determined that all the American hostages be returned home as part of this deal.
We will never forget the lives taken as a result of the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, and the horrors endured by countless innocent people in the war that followed. In my many conversations with leaders in the region, my unwavering focus has been to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.
Today’s agreement will begin to bring desperately needed relief to the people of Gaza through a surge in humanitarian aid and an end to the fighting. While there is more work to be done, I believe this agreement can be the foundation on which we build toward a two-state solution that creates a more peaceful future for Israeli and Palestinian people. I will never stop working to achieve a future of greater peace, dignity, and security for all people in the region.
