Israel’s Netanyahu Rebuffs Biden’s Call for ‘Significant De-escalation’ of Attacks on Gaza
Voice of America
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rebuffed U.S. President Joe Biden’s call for “a significant reduction” in Israel’s bombardment of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip leading to a cease-fire in the 10 days of hostilities.
Instead, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement he is “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met.” Since the fighting began May 10, Israeli strikes have killed at least 217 Palestinians, including at least 63 children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Militant rocket attacks have killed at least 12 Israelis, including a 6-year-old child.Municipal employees place caution tape to restrict access for tourists due to recent seismic activities in Oia village on the Greek island of Santorini, Feb. 5, 2025. Fire service rescuers arrive at the airport of the earthquake-hit island of Santorini, Greece, Feb. 5, 2025. A passenger sits on the dock while waiting for a ferry bound for the Greek mainland, in the earthquake-struck island of Santorini, Greece, Feb. 4, 2025.
A man sits beside the wreckage of burnt military supply vehicles used by suspected Islamic State fighters in the Cal Miskaad mountain range in Bari, east of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosaso, Puntland region, Somalia, Jan. 25, 2025. Puntland Security Forces parade newly trained soldiers and equipment to combat Islamic State in Somalia's Puntland region, Jan. 30, 2025. Puntland security forces patrol after capturing Islamic State bases in the Cal Miskaad mountain range in Bari, east of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosaso, Puntland region, Somalia, Jan. 25, 2025.
Guards stand in a corridor Syrian Democratic Forces-run Gweiran Prison, now called Panorama, which houses men accused of being Islamic State fighters in Hassakeh, northeastern Syria, Jan. 31, 2025. An inmate accused of being an Islamic State fighter stands inside a cell at the Syrian Democratic Forces-run Gweiran Prison, now called Panorama, in Hassakeh, northeastern Syria, Jan. 31, 2025.
Tourists pass by closed shops in Fira town as Greek authorities are taking emergency measures in response to intense seismic activity on the popular Aegean Sea holiday island of Santorini, southern Greece, Feb. 3, 2025. Passengers board a ferry to Athens' port of Piraeus after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake in Santorini, southern Greece, Feb. 3, 2025.
Cargo shipping containers sit on a container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Feb. 3, 2025. China and the U.S. rolled out back-and-forth tariffs over the past two days. A photo released on Jan. 31, 2025, shows two suspects being presented with confiscated illegal drugs at an undisclosed location in Mexico. The Mexican government announced that day it had seized 18 kilos of fentanyl hidden in a bus.(Mexican Ministry of Defense and Navy via AFP) A 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor truck is displayed at the Dearborn Truck Plant, on April 11, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford and General Motors are two companies that could be hit hard by Chinese tariffs, experts say.
FILE - Workers sit in a queue to test for HIV/AIDS, in Lagos, Nigeria, May 1, 2023. USAID funding for Nigeria, which was recently suspended by President Donald Trump's administration, plays a pivotal role in the country's HIV/AIDS treatment programs. FILE - A health worker administers the malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M to a child at the comprehensive Health Centre in Agudama-Epie, in Yenagoa, Nigeria, Dec. 9, 2024.