US President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday he was concerned about violence breaking out in East Jerusalem if a temporary ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war is not agreed upon by the start of Ramadan.
Asked by reporters outside a campaign event if he was worried about violence in East Jerusalem without such a deal, he said, “I sure am.”
This year’s Ramadan, set to begin on Sunday, comes amid tinderbox tensions stemming from the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the group’s shock October 7 attack, when thousands of terrorists rampaged through southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, mostly civilians.
Preparations for the holy month have made headlines in Israel and abroad.
Israeli officials were split in recent weeks on security arrangements for access to the Temple Mount, where hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshipers are expected to attend prayers, while the US, Egypt and Qatar have been pushing to close a hostage release deal before the holy month begins.
Biden told reporters on Friday that the prospects of coming to an agreement before Ramadan were “looking tough,” though US Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated Washington’s assertion that an Israeli-approved proposal remains on the table, and it is now up to Hamas to accept it.
“The issue is Hamas. The issue is whether Hamas will decide or not to have a ceasefire that would benefit everyone,” Blinken said. “The ball is in their court. We’re working intensely on it, and we’ll see what they do.”
Hamas rejects this characterization of the talks as an attempt by Washington to deflect blame from Israel should the negotiations fail.
Israel has said any ceasefire must be temporary and that its goal remains the destruction of Hamas and the return of all hostages. The terror group says it will release the hostages it has been holding since October 7 only as part of a deal that ends the war.
It is believed that 130 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive.
Officials have expressed worries that Ramadan could amplify tensions stemming from the war in Gaza, which has ignited worldwide Muslim anger toward Israel.
