Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected U.S. President Joe Biden’s suggestion of creative solutions to bridge the gap between their views on Palestinian statehood, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli control over Gaza. Netanyahu posted his statement on social media following his first conversation with President Biden in almost a month. President Biden had mentioned on Friday that there are a variety of two-state solutions and had claimed that a two-state solution with Netanyahu in office was still possible.
A spokesperson for Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, called for the United States to recognize the state of Palestine rather than just talking about a two-state solution. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also weighed in on the issue, stressing that the refusal to accept the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians was unacceptable.
Netanyahu has maintained that Israel must fight until it achieves “complete victory” over the Hamas terrorist group. However, a former member of Israel’s War Cabinet, Gadi Eisenkot, stated that complete victory over the terror group was unrealistic. Israel launched its war against Hamas after terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict has had a significant impact on the region, with additional tension between Israel and other groups.
As part of its search for hostages, Israel’s military has been taking various measures and has dropped leaflets in parts of Gaza. In addition, there have been protests and efforts by the Israeli government to secure the release of the hostages. The ongoing conflict continues to affect many aspects of life in Israel and Palestine.