Washington, Oct 16:  Intensifying the efforts to contain the escalating tensions amid Israel’s plan to invade Gaza strip, US President Joe Biden made separate phone calls to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders while his administration reached out to China and regional powers in the Middle East.
In both calls, Biden stressed the need to prevent the conflict from expanding and detailed the coordination with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan and other countries in the region to ensure access to water, food, and medical care for all civilians.
During his conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden reiterated the US’s unwavering support for Israel and also his warning against anyone seeking to expand the conflict.
While it was his fifth such call to Netanyahu since Hamas’s assault last week, it was his reach-out to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,
first since the conflict flared, that was particularly noteworthy. In his first call, Biden stressed that the militant group “does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination”.