The US President believes that the best way to prevent new wars in the Middle East is to create two separate states

The onlyway to ensure the long-term security of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples isto create two states. Gaza and the West Bank should be controlled by thePalestinian Authority. At the same time, Israel and the Palestinian territoriesshould be better integrated into the wider Middle East.

USPresident Joe Biden wrote about this in his column for The Washington Post.

The head ofthe White House outlined the main question to be answered in the context of thecrisis in the Middle East: "Can Israelis and Palestinians ever live sideby side in peace, with two states for two peoples?"

The USPresident believes that the Palestinian people deserve their own state and afuture free of Hamas. In his view, Israel and the Palestinian territories wouldbe better served by integrating into the wider Middle East - an innovativeeconomic corridor connecting India to Europe through the United Arab Emirates,Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

"Betterregional connectivity, including physical and economic infrastructure, helpsboost employment and expand opportunities for young people. This is what we areworking towards in the Middle East. It is a future that has no place for theviolence and hatred of Hamas, and I believe that the attempt to destroy hopefor that future is one of the reasons why Hamas provoked this crisis," theWhite House chief said.

The USPresident is convinced that the only way to ensure the long-term security ofboth the Israeli and Palestinian peoples is to create two states. He added thatthe current crisis has made this issue more urgent than ever.

"Thetwo-state solution - two peoples living side by side with equal freedom,opportunity and dignity - is where the road to peace must lead. Achieving thisrequires a commitment from Israelis and Palestinians, as well as from theUnited States and our allies and partners. This work must begin now," theAmerican president said.

To achievethis task, Biden said, the United States should offer basic principles forovercoming this crisis "to give the world a foundation on which tobuild". To begin with, the head of the White House said, Gaza should neveragain be used as a platform for terrorism.

"Thereshould be no forcible transfer of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, nosiege or blockade and no reduction of territory. And after this war is over,the voices of the Palestinian people and their aspirations must be at thecentre of post-crisis governance in Gaza. As we seek peace, Gaza and the WestBank must be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under theleadership of a renewed Palestinian Authority," Joe Biden said.

He informedIsraeli leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bankmust stop, and those who commit violence must be held accountable. He addedthat the United States is ready to take its own steps, including banning visasfor extremists who attack civilians in the West Bank.

"Theinternational community must allocate resources to support the people of Gazain the immediate aftermath of this crisis, including temporary securitymeasures, and establish a recovery mechanism to sustainably address Gaza'slong-term needs. And it is imperative that no terrorist threats ever againemanate from Gaza or the West Bank. If we can agree on these first steps andtake them together, we can begin to imagine a different future. In the comingmonths, the United States will redouble its efforts to create a more peaceful,integrated, and prosperous Middle East - a region where a day like 7 October isunthinkable," Joe Biden said.

The war between Israel and Hamas in the GazaStrip

On themorning of 7 October, Hamas militants invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip,taking control of several settlements in the border area and taking dozens ofhostages. In response, Israel launched a counter-terrorist operation againstthe militants.

Worldleaders condemned the attack by radical Islamists on Israel. Leaders of EU memberstates and Ukraine expressed solidarity with the people of Israel.

On 1November, Israeli ground forces broke through the front line of the PalestinianHamas movement in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. On 2 November, theIsraeli army completely surrounded the city of Gaza.

There are239 hostages in the Gaza Strip who were taken by militants during the attack on7 October.

On 17November, Hamas and Israel suspendednegotiations on the release of the hostages.

Palestinianradicals denied reports of anagreement on a prisoner exchange with Israel, which was to take effect on20 November.