US President Joe Biden and the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and Canada spoke on Sunday about strategies to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spreading to the wider Middle East.
The talks come as efforts continue to try to get Hamas to release more hostages held in Gaza. Israel’s supporting diplomatic attempts to get people released quickly and in large numbers, a move that could delay and possibly alter a ground assault on the Palestinian enclave, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
Israel Latest: Western Leaders Link Efforts to Stop War’s Spread
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will visit Israel on Monday, while French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to arrive Tuesday. They will be the latest of several leaders to visit in the past week, among them Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Biden spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as Macron and Sunak.
“The leaders committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,” according to the UK.
They reiterated their support for Israel and calls for more aid to get into Gaza.
The violence has inflamed tensions in the Middle East, sent oil prices higher, and fanned fears Lebanon-based Hezbollah may launch a full-on attack of Israel from the north. The group, which like Hamas is backed by Iran, is already exchanging fire with Israel on a near-daily basis.
Hamas and Hezbollah are designated terrorist organizations by the US.
Israel’s Support for Hostage Talks May Delay Invasion of Gaza
The Israeli military has bombarded Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters rampaged through communities in southern Israel and killed around 1,400 people. More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.
Israel has urged Palestinians to move to the south of the Gaza Strip as it concentrates the bulk of its military activities around Gaza City in the north.
On Saturday, a small amount of aid — mostly food and medicine — moved into Gaza from Egypt for the first time since the war erupted. The day before, Hamas released an American woman and her mother who were abducted on Oct. 7. It’s thought to be holding around 200 others.
