Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden on Thursday to discuss the hostage release negotiations, according to an announcement early in the evening by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Netanyahu congratulated the president and the American people on the occasion of America’s Independence Day and said that without the US there would be no freedom in the world.
President Biden replied that without Israel there would be no security for Jews in the world, according to the statement.
Netanyahu updated Biden on “his decision to send a delegation to continue the hostage negotiations and reiterated the principles that Israel is committed to, especially its commitment to end the war only after all of its goals have been achieved,” the PMO said.
Those goals include: the elimination of Hamas as a governing and military force in Gaza, the return to Israel of all the remaining hostages held captive, and ensuring Gaza can no longer become a threat to the Jewish State.
The decision came after the mediators forwarded to Israel the most recent response by Hamas to the latest proposal of the negotiators for the release of the 120 hostages still held captive by the terror group in Gaza.
The White House readout of the conversation was different in tone and in content. Here’s what it said:
“The Prime Minister congratulated the United States on the occasion of Independence Day, and thanked the President for his continued and steadfast support for Israel’s security.
President Biden and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages, as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7, and countries around the world.
The leaders discussed the recent response received from Hamas. The President welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal.
President Biden reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah.
Both leaders welcomed the meeting to take place on July 15 between their national security teams in the Strategic Consultative Group format.”
