Live Updates: US working with Arab states to rebuild Gaza — Biden

Thursday, May 9, 2024

05:00 GMT — US working with Arab states to rebuild Gaza — Biden

US President Joe Biden has told CNN that he was working with Arab states that are prepared to rebuild Gaza and help with the transition to a two-state solution, following Israel's war on besieged Gaza.

Biden's also publicly warned Israel for the first time that the US would stop supplying it weapons if Israeli military make a major invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah..., I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem," Biden said.

0430 GMT — Hamas says Israel not serious about reaching truce deal

Israeli hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to "create excuses to avoid negotiations" and Israel is not serious about achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, a senior member of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said.

"Israel is not serious about reaching an agreement. It is using negotiations as a pretext to occupy Rafah city and the (Rafah) fence crossing," Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, said on Telegram.

04:00 GMT — US representatives decry arrest of student protestors at GWU

US Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib have expressed support for pro-Palestine protestors who were arrested earlier at George Washington University (GWU) in the US capital.

"Students are protesting all across the country because they believe our government ha s failed to recognize the common humanity of all people," Bush said at a news conference alongside the students.

"They're protesting because they oppose our government's silence and complicity in the deaths of at least 35,000 Palestinians," she added.

For our live updates from Wednesday, May 6, click here