U.S. PRESIDENT HOPES FOR TRUCE, BUT SAYS ‘ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF’

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: The US and China have made their positions clear on the crisis, with US President Joe Biden saying the Israelis have the right to defend themselves amid the need for a ceasefire, while Beijing urged the UNSC to defuse the situation.

After speaking with the Israeli PM, Biden said, “I had a conversation with Bibi [Benjamin] Netanyahu not too long ago. My expectation and hope is that this [crisis] will be closing down sooner than later. But Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.” Biden said US diplomacy was in high gear with national security and defence staff “in constant contact with their counterparts in the Middle East”. Beijing, meanwhile, expressed concern over the clashes. “China expresses a high degree of concern,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.