White House Press Secretary said on Monday at the press briefing that “there is a deal on the table” and Hamas needs to accept it “immediately.”
Secretary Blinken is in the Middle East to deliver that same message. Today, Blinken held a meeting in Riyadh with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan, alongside Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary General Hussein Al Sheikh. He stressed the urgent necessity for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Seventeen world leaders united last week to call on Hamas to release all hostages. White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre emphasized that it is “way past time” for Hamas to allow the hostages to return home. “It is way past time to get to a ceasefire and we need to make sure we continue to get that humanitarian aid,” she added.
Jean-Pierre stated that concerning the Rafah operations, NSA Jake Sullivan held two virtual meetings with Israel, noting that these discussions have been “productive.”
Meanwhile, there are emerging reports indicating a potential issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Following indications that the International Criminal Court might issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called on Biden to get ICC stand down.
“It is disgraceful that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is reportedly planning to issue baseless and illegitimate arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials,” stated Johnson.
“The Biden Administration must immediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC stand down and the U.S. should use every available tool to prevent such an abomination.”
The White House has declared that the Biden administration does not support the ICC investigation and believes that the court in the Hague “has no jurisdiction” over Israel.
Netanyahu said in a statement on X Friday that under his leadership, “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense…While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”
Regarding protests at Columbia University, the White House Press Secretary affirmed that “Americans have the right to peacefully protest.” She also emphasized that the White House stands against “hate speech” and anti-Semitism, stating that there is no place for such expressions on campuses or elsewhere.
“It is a painful moment, we get that. It is a painful moment that Americans are dealing with, and free expression has to be done within the law. And, you know, we’re going to continue to be very clear about that,” stated Jean-Pierre.
