US President Joe Biden on Sunday marked the end of the Gaza ceasefire and announced that hundreds of trucks laden with essential aid were entering the region. Speaking from North Charleston, South Carolina, on his final day in office, Biden said the ceasefire marked the end of over a year of conflict.
The guns in Gaza have gone silent today,” Biden said, adding that several hundred trucks were due to enter the Gaza Strip at that very moment, bringing much-needed relief to displaced civilians.
Severe hardships marked Gaza, with most civilians displaced by 15 months of Israel aerial bombardment focused on Hamas militants who attacked Israel in October 2023. Biden candidly admitted the ceasefire would be one of the toughest negotiations in his administration but defended his unwavering support for Israel despite its high civilian losses, which had now surpassed nearly 50,000 Palestinian lives.
“This deal was not easy to reach, but it’s the result of intense pressure on Hamas, supported by the United States,” Biden said, adding that the current administration had played a critical role in facilitating the ceasefire.
As he is set to transfer the presidency to Republican Donald Trump on Monday, Biden has emphasized that the task of taking the Gaza ceasefire deal forward lies with the new administration.
Even though Biden’s policies received mixed reactions, the diplomatic approach to the Middle East was one of the most memorable chapters in his presidency, where the United States showed it had an important role in international peacekeeping.
