By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the US will make "another push" with Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza.
"Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza. They too deserve an end to the fighting and displacement," Biden said in televised remarks following the announcement of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
For the first time, he mentioned Türkiye as part of the mediation efforts to secure a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Asked about Türkiye’s role and whether it has become a broker, a senior administration official said: "We have certain individuals and parties who are now spending time in Türkiye, and so they (Türkiye) were added.”
However, the official added: "It was not to suggest that they are a broker or a negotiator. It’s to say that we will leave no stone unturned in trying to do this."
The Biden administration views the Lebanon cease-fire deal as a potential “game changer” that could bring Hamas back to negotiations with Israel, according to a senior administration official.
In his remarks, Biden also called on Hamas to release the hostages, including American citizens, and bring an end to the fighting, which, he said, would enable a possible surge in humanitarian relief.
"The people of Gaza have been through hell. Their world is absolutely shattered. Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much," he added.
Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 44,000 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by Hamas in October last year that killed nearly 1,200, according to official figures.
The onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the enclave, and a blockade has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.
Besides the hundreds of thousands in northern Gaza in danger, international organizations and aid groups have warned that the entire population of Gaza – over 2 million people – is at risk of famine due to Israel’s continuing relentless attacks and strict blockade.