‘Time to end the war’: Biden sees progress on Gaza deal

At the closing news conference of the NATO summit, US President Joe Biden acknowledged concerns about Israeli actions, despite his overall support for the US ally. "There's a lot of things in retrospect I wish I had been able to convince the Israelis to do, but the bottom line is we have a chance now. It's time to end this war," he said.

On Thursday (July 11), Biden emphasized the urgent need to end Israel’s war on Gaza, revealing that his ceasefire framework had been agreed upon by both Israel and Hamas, though some gaps remain to be closed. Biden's plan, proposed over a month ago, calls for Israel to temporarily halt its offensive in Gaza while Hamas releases hostages, paving the way for permanent peace talks.

"This war cabinet is one of the most conservative war cabinets in the history of Israel, and there's no ultimate answer other than a two-state solution here," he said.

Biden also upheld his decision to withhold 2,000-pound bombs, stressing their potential for causing significant civilian casualties. "I'm not providing the 2,000-pound bombs. They cannot be used in Gaza or any populated area without causing great human tragedy and damage," he added.

He also urged Israel to develop a "day-after" plan for the war's conclusion and discussed his diplomatic efforts to involve Arab states in ensuring security. "At the end of the day, there has to be no occupation by Israel in the Gaza Strip," reiterating that Israel should not occupy Gaza once the war ends.

The devastating nine-month war killed at least 38,345 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.