Biden pushes Gaza ceasefire deal in Eid message to Muslims
Washington DC - President Joe Biden used his Eid al-Adha message to Muslims to advocate a US-backed ceasefire deal in Gaza as his administration continues to supply weapons to Israel.
"Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense," Biden said in a statement.
"I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the UN Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war," he added.
The US has been pressing Israel and Hamas to formally accept the ceasefire deal green-lighted by Security Council members last week, which would allow an initial six-week pause to the Gaza assault.
Eid al-Adha, which marks the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son to God, saw Israel announced a "tactical pause" in fighting near Rafah to facilitate aid deliveries.
Israel has killed at least 37,337 Palestinians, many of whom are Muslim, in its ongoing siege of Gaza, which has reached genocidal proportions according to human rights organizations, academic and legal experts, and an increasing number of states.
The Biden administration continues to support Israel's deadly attacks by supplying weapons to the occupying forces.
Biden announces strategy to counter Islamophobia
In his message, Biden also highlighted American efforts to "advocate for the rights of other Muslim communities" facing persecution, including the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Uyghurs in China.
He said "we're also working to bring a peaceful resolution to the horrific conflict in Sudan," which has been gripped by fighting between the country's army and a rival paramilitary group since April 2023.
On the domestic front, Biden's message Sunday also promised a crackdown on Islamophobia in a direct appeal to American Muslims, a key voting demographic in the Democrat's reelection bid against Republican rival Donald Trump.
"My Administration is creating a national strategy to counter Islamophobia and related forms of bias and discrimination, which affect not only Muslims, but also Arab, Sikh, and South Asian Americans," Biden said.
Cover photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP