US President Joe Biden will talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, sources familiar with the call said. The call will take place this morning before Biden departs Wilmington, Delaware to return to the White House, one source said.
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Biden to Discuss Gaza Situation with Netanyahu Amid Rafah Tensions:
- Urgent Talks: U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to have a crucial discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tensions escalate in Rafah, Gaza.
- Humanitarian Concerns: The White House expresses deep skepticism about the potential humanitarian impact of an Israeli ground invasion into Rafah, emphasizing the need for caution.
- Stalled Ceasefire Negotiations: The conversation comes at a critical time when ceasefire talks have largely stalled, with CIA Director Bill Burns in Doha attempting to mediate.
- International Opposition: European leaders, including representatives from France and the EU, have voiced firm opposition to the planned offensive in Rafah, highlighting the potential for significant civilian distress and displacement.
- Global Diplomatic Efforts: Amidst the backdrop of increasing military preparations by Israel near the Gaza border, international efforts continue to focus on preventing further escalation and addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The Associated Press has the story:
Biden to speak with Netanyahu today, as Washington monitors situation in Rafah
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
US President Joe Biden will talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, sources familiar with the call said. The call will take place this morning before Biden departs Wilmington, Delaware to return to the White House, one source said.
President Biden will speak with Netanyahu as his administration closely watches the situation in Rafah, after the Israeli military ordered evacuations in eastern parts of the city.
The White House has made clear that they are extremely skeptical of any incursion into Rafah over concerns about the potential humanitarian impact.
The conversation also comes as hostage and ceasefire talks have essentially stalled for now with CIA Director Bill Burns remaining in Doha, Qatar to try to continue negotiations.
European leaders stress “firm opposition” to Israeli offensive in Rafah
Political figures in Europe, including those representing France and the European Union, have reiterated their objections to Israel’s threatened ground assault on Rafah.
“France reiterates its firm opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.3 million people are taking refuge in a situation of extreme distress,” the French foreign ministry said on Monday. The ministry also repeated calls for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
France also points out that the forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime under international law,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell warned in a post on X that, “Israel’s evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable… The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.”
Streams of Palestinians began leaving eastern Rafah on Monday, prompting fears among displaced Gazans over whether Israel will soon carry out its long-threatened assault on the city.
Israeli offensive in Rafah would compound “unbearable tragedy,” UN chief warns
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, warning against “new forced displacement” and an “anxiety of endless suffering” among Gazans.
“An Israeli military offensive will lead to an additional layer of an already unbearable tragedy for the people in #Gaza,” the commissioner-general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, posted on X on Monday. “It will make even more difficult to reverse the expansion of the already man made famine.
“What is needed is a #ceasefireNow not new forced displacement + anxiety of endless suffering,” he added.
This came as negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages once again stalled, and as Israel threatened an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have gathered during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Students set up pro-Palestinian encampments at Oxford and Cambridge universities
Scholars at two prestigious universities in the United Kingdom pitched pro-Palestinian encampments on their college grounds on Monday.
Photos emerged on social media showing several tents with Palestinian flags erected outside the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and at King’s College at the University of Cambridge, as students called on their leadership to sever ties with Israel.
Campaign group, Oxford Action for Palestine, set up the tents at 11 p.m. ET (4 a.m. local time) on Monday outside the museum, which they said symbolizes the “relationship that Oxford has to colonial projects.”
A banner showed the list of demands from student protesters which include: the disclosure of university finances, the divestment from Israeli businesses, an overhaul of the university’s investment policy and support towards Palestinian-led rebuilding of educational facilities in Gaza. In the statement, the group said they “stand in solidarity” with pro-Palestinian student protests across the globe.
Meanwhile, the group Cambridge for Palestine established an encampment on Monday in the center of the city, demanding the university “discloses and divests from its financial and professional support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”
Students, many of whom are wearing facemasks and scarves, created signs and banners. One of these reads: “There are no universities left in Gaza.”
More than 80% of schools in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. More than 5,479 students, 261 teachers and 95 university professors have been killed in Gaza, the UN reported.
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