Joe Biden Welcomes Extension of Gaza Ceasefire

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, welcomed the extension of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel for two days. Mr. Biden stated, "I have been deeply engaged in the past few days to ensure that this agreement (the initial ceasefire agreement reached last week) achieved through extensive U.S. mediation and diplomacy can remain fruitful." He mentioned that over 50 hostages held by Hamas, including young children, mothers, and grandmothers, have been released and returned to their families. In his statement, Mr. Biden referred to a 4-year-old American girl named Abigail, who was taken hostage by "Hamas terrorists" after witnessing the murder of her parents in front of her eyes, and she has now been released. The U.S. President said, "I spoke with Abigail's family after her release, and we are working closely with our Israeli partners to ensure that she receives the necessary care and support as she begins to heal from this indescribable psychological trauma." In another part of his statement, Joe Biden noted that the "humanitarian pause" in the conflict has significantly increased the provision of humanitarian aid to innocent civilians across the Gaza Strip. He stated that the U.S. is fully utilizing the pause in hostilities to increase the volume of humanitarian aid to Gaza and "will continue our efforts to build a future of peace and dignity for the Palestinian people." The U.S. President also thanked the Prime Minister of Israel, the Emir of Qatar, and the President of Egypt for the agreement to extend the ceasefire, stating, "We will not stop our efforts until all hostages held by Hamas terrorists are freed."