U.S. President Joe Biden discussed Gaza and urgent efforts to free Hamas hostages with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Sunday, the White House said.
According to the White House, Biden strongly condemned Hamas’s hostage-taking of many young children, including a 3-year-old American citizen whose parents were killed on October 7.
“The two leaders agreed that all hostages must be released without further delay,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden’s senior Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, will meet Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Tuesday and visit Brussels, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar.
Earlier, the Qatari government reported that during his call with Biden, Al Thani emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the permanent reopening of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
The U.S. has declined Arab leaders’ and others’ requests that it demand Israel cease its offensive in the Gaza Strip, which is under the control of Hamas.
The leaders discussed the imperative of safeguarding innocent civilians and continuous endeavors to augment the influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but not a ceasefire, according to the White House in a statement.
