Iran says the United States seeks a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, but the White House denies it | Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Palestinian-Israeli conflict | Hamas

[The Epoch Times, November 7, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Li Yan) A spokesman for the White House National Security Council stated on Monday (November 6) that a report by Iran’s semi-official media Fars News Agency stated that the United States hinted that It is seeking a ceasefire in Gaza, which is absolutely wrong.

The Biden administration maintains its position that Israel and Hamas should seek a temporary ceasefire to release hostages. The United States has stopped short of calling for a full ceasefire, saying it would benefit Hamas. Fars quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying on Monday that the United States had sent messages to Tehran over the past three days indicating that it was seeking a ceasefire.

Amir Abdullahian said: “They took some actions, but in reality they only supported mass killings and genocide in Gaza.”

When asked by CNN, a spokesman for the National Security Council said, “This statement is absolutely false.”

“We have made it clear to Iran that it should not seek to expand the conflict and do so at its own risk if it chooses to do so,” the spokesman said. “We have also made it clear publicly and privately that we demand the release of hostages held by Hamas. “The release of the hostages requires a humanitarian moratorium in the fighting. Any delay in this process depends on Hamas.”

Amir Abdullahian’s remarks came after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited Tehran on Monday. A day earlier, he met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Baghdad.

According to a report by Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for coordination between Iraq and Iran to increase “political pressure” on the United States and Israel in order to get Israel to stop bombing Gaza.

During a meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken on Saturday (November 4), Arab officials urged Blinken to persuade Israel to cease fire in Gaza immediately, but Blinken said that the United States opposed the ceasefire because “it will only allow Hamas to remain.” in place, allowing it to regroup and repeat what it did on October 7,” when Hamas launched a wide-ranging attack from Gaza into southern Israel, triggering the war.

Under international pressure, Israel, which is engaged in a fierce battle with Hamas, said on Sunday (November 5) that it was open to a so-called “humanitarian pause”, but only if there must be a breakthrough in rescuing the “hostage issue.”

US President Joe Biden “discussed the possibility of a tactical pause” in Gaza during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, according to the White House. The leaders also discussed “the need to hold extremist settlers accountable for violence in the West Bank.” Tensions have been rising in the region since the war began.

Editor in charge: Li Yuan#