Joe Biden spoke yesterday Wednesday in favor of a “pause” in the Israel-Hamas war, so that the “captives” can leave the Gaza Strip.

The 80-year-old Democrat, who will seek another term in a year’s time in November 2024, spoke out during a fund-raising event after a woman shouted: “As a rabbi, I ask you to call to preach immediate ceasefire”.

“I think a break is needed. Pause means (that there will be) time for them to leave as prisoners”, was Mr. Biden’s reaction.

Asked to comment on the president’s statement, the White House was quick to clarify that by the term “captives” Mr. Biden was referring to the hostages of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“I am the one who convinced the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu that there should be a pause for the prisoners to leave. I’m the one who spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to convince him to open the door,” the US president said, apparently defensively, apparently referring to the crossing at Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Israel. Egypt.

The American presidency also clarified that Mr. Biden was referring with the specific phrases to the recent release of two American women who were held hostage by Hamas.

The White House refuses to this day to call for a cease-fire, judging that it would exclusively favor Hamas, however, it has called for “humanitarian pauses”, for the distribution of humanitarian aid and the removal of hostages, or civilians, or the wounded.

Mr Biden threw his weight behind Israel’s support and visited the country last month, but in recent weeks he has changed his tune somewhat, with the situation in the Gaza Strip now described as catastrophic by the UN and humanitarian organizations and the the death toll among Palestinian civilians continues to grow heavier and heavier.

At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, top administration officials were repeatedly interrupted by protesters, who accused the US government of supporting what they see as “genocide” in the Gaza Strip against Palestinians.

The woman who yelled at the president yesterday told reporters her name is Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg. She was escorted out by presidential security while rhythmically repeating “cease fire now!”.

Mr. Biden said he understood that war stirs up strong emotions. “It is extremely complicated for the Israelis. And for the Muslim world as well (…) I support the two-state solution; I supported it from the beginning,” he assured. “The issue is that Hamas is a terrorist organization,” he added.

According to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, at least 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since October 7. Hamas announced today that at least 195 people were killed and another 120 trapped in the rubble in the two bombings in the Jambaliya refugee camp yesterday Tuesday and yesterday Wednesday.

Israel has been relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip of 2.4 million people since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7 killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians; it was the deadliest by a state in 1948 The declared goal of the Israeli political and military leadership is the “annihilation” of the Palestinian Islamist movement.