Biden, Netanyahu Meet on Gaza Ceasefire

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held White House talks on an elusive ceasefire to the 9-month-old Gaza war.

It was the first face-to-face talks for the two men since Biden traveled to Israel days after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, hugged Netanyahu and pledged American support.

The visit coincides with a shift in American politics. Biden stepped aside from the U.S. presidential race under pressure from fellow Democrats and endorsed Harris for the party's 2024 presidential nomination.

Netanyahu said: "Mr. President, we've known each other for 40 years, and you've known every Israeli Prime Minister for 50 years. From Golda Meir, so from a proud Jew Zionist to a proud Irish-American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel. And I look forward to discussing with you today and working with you in the months ahead on the great issues before us."

The two leaders have had strained relations for months over Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Also Vice President Kamala Harris met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her ceremonial office at the White House.

"Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters," Harris told reporters after the meeting. She said she raised her serious concerns about the scale of human suffering in Gaza.

"I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there," she said. "I will not be silent."

The meeting will be closely watched for signs of how Harris, who was the first top U.S. official to call for a ceasefire, could shift American policy toward Israel if she becomes president.

Netanyahu's visit, his first to Israel's most important international ally since his late 2022 return to power for a record sixth term as prime minister, comes on the heels of Biden's dramatic decision not to seek reelection.