Biden's Call with Pope Francis: Here's What Happened

 

The White House stated in a release that US President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Sunday, discussing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

They also discussed "the need to prevent further escalation in the region and work towards achieving lasting peace in the Middle East," the statement added.

The Vatican earlier noted that the 20-minute call "focused on the situation of conflicts in the world and the need to find ways to achieve peace."

President Joe Biden announced on Saturday that he was in contact with Israeli authorities regarding the timing of the commencement of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

When asked if he was encouraging the Israelis to delay the ground attack on Gaza, Biden said he was "speaking to the Israelis about it."

The White House backtracked on Saturday from a statement by the US president, suggesting that Israel should delay its anticipated ground assault in Gaza until more hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions are released.

While boarding Air Force One earlier on Saturday, Biden was asked if Israel should delay the ground operation in Gaza, to which he responded, "Yes."

However, the White House clarified that the US president "did not hear the question about Israel delaying the ground invasion and thought the question was about whether he wanted more hostages released."