US Vice President Joe Biden urged all sides to fully follow a truce reached between Israel and Islamic Jihad terrorists on Sunday in order to put a stop to days of deadly fighting in Gaza.
In a statement, the president claimed that over the previous three days, Washington had coordinated with representatives of the Jewish state, the Palestinian Authority, and numerous nations in the area to “promote a fast resolution to the crisis.”
“We also call on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides,” Biden added.
The president also bemoaned the harm and deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza, but he made no mention of the perpetrators. At least 44 Palestinians have died as a result of the violence, including 15 children.
“The reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza,” Biden said.
Israel has been heavily shelling Islamic Jihad strongholds in Gaza since last Friday, and the terrorists have responded by launching hundreds of missiles.
While Israelis have been forced to take cover from a barrage of rockets, buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble.
“As I made clear during my recent trip to Israel and the West Bank, Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” added Biden, who traveled to the region last month.
