US President Joe Biden called for the Gaza war to end and for hostages to be freed as he confirmed that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit Israel next week to discuss the new geopolitical reality created by the IDF’s assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
“I’m sending Tony Blinken to Israel,” Biden told reporters upon landing in Germany early Friday morning for a trip in which Biden is expected to meet with German, French, and British leaders to discuss Ukraine and the Middle East, including Israel’s war with Iran and its proxies.
“We’re going to work out what is the day after now,” Biden said, explaining that this means, “how do we secure Gaza and move on.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his public remarks on Thursday, indicated that Sinwar’s death heralded the “beginning of the day after Hamas in Gaza.” He also stressed that it created new opportunities to secure the release of the hostages and “brings the end of the war closer.”
Netanyahu, however, did not indicate that he was ready for a Gaza ceasefire.
Biden told reporters in Germany, “Now is the time to move on — move on, move towards a ceasefire in Gaza.”
He explained that he had delivered the same message to Netanyahu when he spoke with him from Air Force One late Thursday night.
“It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home. And so, that’s what we’re ready to do,” Biden said.
During his conversation with Netanyahu, whom he referred to by his nickname of Bibi, Biden said he had congratulated him on the successful assassination of Sinwar.
“It’s a good day for the world. We got [Sinwar] — I called Bibi Netanyahu to congratulate him on getting Sinwar. He has a lot of blood on his hands — American blood, Israeli blood, and others," Biden said.
“And I told him that we were really pleased with his actions,” Biden stated.
One reporter asked him if he was hopeful that the war would now end.
“I do. I do feel more hopeful,” Biden said.
He was then asked if he thought Netanyahu would agree to end the war.
"Hopefully, he — very soon,” Biden said, appearing to answer in the affirmative.
Blinken in advance for his visit called Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday, as well as his Qatari and Saudi counterparts.
Herzog and Netanyahu met on Friday morning, according to Herzog’s office.
Window of opportunity
“During the conversation, both emphasized that after the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, there was a significant window of opportunity – importantly to advance the return of the hostages, and the elimination of Hamas,” Herzog’s office stated.
The US has blamed Sinwar for the absence of a hostage deal, explaining that he had blocked the advancement of a three-phase deal first unveiled at the end of May.
The US has spoken of returning to that deal, which was first proposed by Israel. But Netanyahu appeared to indicate on Thursday night that he would also seek to make individual deals with Palestinian captors in Gaza willing to release the hostages they hold.
Mossad Chief David Barnea held consultations Thursday on how to advance a hostage deal in the aftermath of Sinwar’s death.