Photo: Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators confronted each other near the White House on the 25th. \AFP

[Ta Kung Pao News]According to reports from AFP and AP: US President Biden and Vice President Harris met with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on the 25th. Biden and Harris both called on Israel to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza with the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as soon as possible. Harris said that she would not “remain silent” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza. At the same time, anti-war demonstrators held a protest outside the White House, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and accusing Netanyahu of being a “war criminal.”

Harris is the first senior US official to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. After meeting with Netanyahu on the 25th, Harris said: “What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating.” She mentioned “dead children” and “desperate and hungry people” and stressed: “We cannot ignore these tragedies. We cannot be numb to suffering, and I will not remain silent.” She asked Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to ceasefire and release hostages to end the war. Some analysts believe that this is a signal that the US policy on Gaza may change.

Netanyahu went to Mar-a-Lago in Florida on the 26th to meet with former US President Trump. Trump said on the 26th that Israel should end the war quickly. He believed that the protracted conflict was a “public relations nightmare” for Israel.

Several informed sources from the West, Palestine and Egypt revealed that Israel is seeking to modify the Gaza ceasefire plan to make negotiations more difficult. According to reports, Israel has demanded the establishment of a review mechanism for civilians returning to northern Gaza, while Hamas has expressed opposition.