Joe Biden pushes Gaza ceasefire deal in Eid message

The United States as been pressing Israel and Hamas to accept a deal passed by the UN Security Council last week

Reading Time:1 minute

Palestinians perform the Eid al-Adha morning prayer amid rubble in Gaza City on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:10am, 17 Jun 2024Updated: 10:52am, 17 Jun 2024

US President Joe Biden used his Eid al-Adha message to Muslims to advocate a US-backed ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying on Sunday it was the best way to help civilians suffering the “horrors of war between Hamas and Israel”.

“Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense,” Biden said in a statement.

“I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the UN Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war,” he added.

The United States has been pressing Israel and Hamas to formally accept the ceasefire deal passed by Security Council members last week, which would allow an initial six-week pause to fighting.

Palestinians hold Eid al-Adha prayers by the ruins of a mosque in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters

Eid al-Adha, which marks the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God, saw a rare day of relative calm in Gaza after Israel announced a “tactical pause” in fighting near Rafah to facilitate aid deliveries.