Biden calls for 'unilateral ceasefire' by Israel in Gaza, says Netanyahu making 'a mistake'

United States President Joe Biden has urged Israel to declare a 'unilateral ceasefire' for at least six to eight weeks and said thatIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy in the war isa mistake.

The statement of Biden appeared to be nullifying the stance of the administration that a truce in Gaza is only possible if Hamas agrees to release some of the hostages, who have still been kept in the Gaza Strip.

“What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country,” said Biden, in an interview with Univision, a US Spanish-language TV network.

“I’ve spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They’re prepared to move in. They’re prepared to move this food in. And I think there’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and food needs of those people. It should be done now,” the president added.

Meanwhile speaking about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's strategy in war with Hamas, Biden said, “I think what he’s doing is a mistake… I don’t agree with his approach.”

White House says no shift in US administration's policy

Reacting to Biden's appeal to call for a unilateral ceasefire, the White House clarified that the president's statements do not hint at any shift in the US administration's policy.

A White House official said that Biden was speaking about the truce which is being currentlynegotiated by his administration and would see the release of some 40 hostages over a six-to-eight-week period.

“There is no change in our position. The president was reiterating our longstanding position: we are calling for an immediate ceasefire that would last for at least six weeks as part of a hostage deal,” said the official.

“His quote [to Univision] makes that clear. This is in line with what he said at the State of the Union, and that we’ve repeatedly said,” added the senior White House official.

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Hours before Biden's interview was aired, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had blamed Hamas for delaying a deal.

“There could be a ceasefire in place today that would extend for several weeks to be built upon longer if Hamas would be prepared to release some of those people, so let’s train the attention where it belongs… I believe Israel is ready and Hamas should step up to the table and be prepared to do so as well,” said Sullivan.

Hamas “has an opportunity now to agree to the proposal on a ceasefire and hostages. The ball is in Hamas’s court. The world is watching to see what it does,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

(With inputs from agencies)