On December 23, 2023 local time, in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, injured children were received in hospital after an airstrike by the Israeli army**. IC photo.
According to CCTV News on December 24, local time on December 23, Biden of the United States spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the two sides discussed the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
According to the global network, Reuters quoted 24** that after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for "immediate, safe and unhindered direct large-scale humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians throughout the Gaza Strip", the Israeli army was still fighting with Hamas on the 23rd. In addition, Biden revealed to ** that in the aforementioned call with Netanyahu, he did not ask for a ceasefire on the Israeli side.
I had a long conversation with Netanyahu today (December 23), and it was a private conversation," Biden told reporters on the 23rd. When a reporter tried to ask loudly about the ceasefire, Biden simply responded: "I am not asking for a ceasefire." ”
In a subsequent statement, the White House said Biden and Netanyahu discussed Israel's military operation in Gaza, including its "goals and phasing arrangements." According to the statement, Biden stressed to Netanyahu "the urgent need to protect civilians, including civilians supporting humanitarian aid operations," "the importance of allowing civilians to safely evacuate areas of ongoing fighting," and "the importance of ensuring the release of all remaining hostages."
The Global Network also quoted the Times of Israel as reporting that the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that during the phone call with Biden, Netanyahu "expressed appreciation for the US position in the Security Council." According to the report, this refers to the US side blocking the United Nations from issuing a binding ceasefire call for Gaza. Netanyahu also said that "Israel will continue the war until all its goals are achieved." ”
The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2720 on the 22nd with 13 votes in favor and 2 abstentions, calling for "immediate, safe and unhindered direct large-scale humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians throughout the Gaza Strip" and "creating conditions for a continued cessation of hostilities". On that day, the United States and Russia abstained in the voting on the draft resolution, submitted by the United Arab Emirates. Before the vote, the United States vetoed an amendment proposed by Russia calling for the return to the wording of the "suspension of hostilities" in the original draft.
Some local aid organizations said that the impact of the Security Council resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip on the 22nd was "close to zero". Avril Benoit, executive director of Médecins Sans Frontières, said in a statement: "This resolution has been watered down to the point where its impact on civilian life in Gaza is almost meaningless. ”
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