Biden says Palestinian state still possible after Netanyahu call

WASHINGTON  -  US President Joe Biden said Friday it was still possible Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could agree to some form of Palestinian state, after the two leaders spoke for the first time in nearly a month amid tensions over the Gaza war.

Their call came a day after Netan­yahu said he opposes allowing Pales­tinian sovereignty in the wake of the conflict with Palestinians, deepen­ing Israeli divisions with key backer Washington over the conduct of Is­rael’s offensive and what comes next.

But Biden said after the call that it was not impossible Netanyahu might come round to some form of so-called two-state solution, moot­ed for decades as a way to end ten­sions in the Middle East, despite the Israeli premier’s comments. “There are a number of types of two-state solutions. There’s a number of countries that are members of the UN that... don’t have their own mili­taries,” Biden told reporters after an event at the White House.

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