ANALYSIS
As Joe Biden was standing shoulder to shoulder with Emmanuel Macron honouring France’s war dead at Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, they were celebrating in Tel Aviv.
Israel had successfully freed four hostages held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent refusal to sign up to a ceasefire agreement had found limited, short-term success.
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“Hamas is committing war crimes everyday, including the holding of these hostages,” Netanyahu said.
“Our soldiers are performing in the most valiant and moral way to end this war with a victory against these killers and against these kidnappers.
“And we shall prevail.”
Hamas says Israel’s operation to free the hostages also resulted in the deaths of 210 Palestinians. 400 were wounded.
Speaking in Paris, Joe Biden and his French counterpart are pushing for peace.
“I want to echo President Macron’s comments welcoming the safe rescue of four hostages that were returned to their families in Israel,” Biden said.
“We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a cease-fire is reached. That is essential to happen.”
The 81-year-old US President’s dilemma is that as he seeks re-election, the crisis in the Middle East won’t go away.
Large parts of his Democratic Party won’t let him forget about it.
After backing a multi-layered peace plan just weeks ago, it appears to be on pause.
Netanyahu can get the hostages freed with brute force, and claim praise from his people.
Joe Biden also wants the hostages to be freed, but not at such a high cost.
Hugh Whitfeld, currently in Paris, is Europe Bureau Chief of 7NEWS.
