Israel discovers unidentified bodies in Gaza, Biden hints at possible ceasefire deal
US President Joe Biden said his staff was in contact with the Israelis and confirmed that they have discovered bodies in Gaza. He was unsure of the exact number of bodies. Biden added he was not at liberty to identify the bodies at this time.
Biden, speaking to reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, said: “There’s a lot of speculation as to who they are, the names. I’m not at liberty to do that at this moment, until the families are notified.”
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 94,000 injured in Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7, the enclave’s health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The war was triggered when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
On Saturday, clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank as Israel pushed ahead with a military operation in the flashpoint city of Jenin. Hundreds of Israeli troops have been carrying out raids since Wednesday in one of their largest actions in the West Bank in months.
Biden also said that he believed negotiators were getting close to another ceasefire, aimed in part at releasing the remaining hostages. The US has been pushing for a deal for months, most recently last weekend in talks in Cairo.
“We should end this war,” Biden said. “I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement.”
“They’ve all said they agree on the principles, so keep your fingers crossed,” he said.
Biden added that “people are continuing to meet.”
“We think we can close the deal, they’ve all said they agree on the principles.”