Washington [US], November 26: United States President Joe Biden has said there is a "real" chance that a four-day pause in Israel's war on Gaza could be extended.
"I think the chances are real," he told reporters on Friday, while also refusing to speculate on how long the war that started on October 7 after a surprise Hamas attack inside Israel could last.
"My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring this to an end as quickly as we can," Biden said, while reiterating his support for Israel.
He stressed that "eliminating" Hamas remains a "legitimate" mission for Israel.
He only said he has "encouraged" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to limit civilian casualties.
About 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women andchildren, have been killed so far in Israeli bombardments following the Hamas attackthat killed 1,200 people inIsrael.
Source: Qatar Tribune