After blocking UN statement for third time, Biden says he supports ceasefire

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the national economy and the need for his administration’s proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief legislation in the State Dining Room at the White House on 5 February 2021 in Washington, DC. [Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images]

US President Joe Biden said he expressed his support for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians on Sunday, the same day his administration blocked for a third time a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s military response in Gaza and called for a ceasefire.

According to CNN, Biden fell short of voicing “full-on demand for a cessation of violence, something some Democrats have been pressuring Biden to make.”

His move came after wide objections from a segment of Democrats, including in Congress, who are now taking an unprecedented stance against the US’ unconditional support for Israel as the civilian death toll continues to rise in Gaza as a result of Israeli air strikes.

The US’ decision to block the UN Security Council statement, which also stressed the need to protect civilians, sparked international outrage.

Israeli military raids on the Gaza Strip have killed nearly 200 people, including 58 children and 34 women. Ten Israelis, two of them children, have also been killed.

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