Biden says Pope Francis endorsed US ‘game plan’ for Israel-Gaza war

WASHINGTON, DC — President Biden says Pope Francis endorsed America’s “game plan” in the Israel-Hamas conflict during a Sunday phone call.

“The pope and I are on the same page,” Biden said Monday afternoon at an unrelated economy-focused event near the White House.

“He was very, very interested in what we were doing to deal with some of the crises that we are facing, particularly in Israel this time around,” the nation’s second Catholic president told reporters.

“And I laid out to him what the game plan was, how we thought we should be providing the kind of assistance to Israel that they needed. And the pope was across the board supportive of what we’re doing.”

Pope Francis has advocated for peace rather than continued war as the Israeli government fights to end Hamas’ control of Gaza.

The pontiff also has called for more humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians and for Hamas to release more than 200 hostages.

Biden has claimed credit for convincing Egypt and Israel to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza through a long-closed Egyptian border crossing.

The 80-year-old president has vocally supported Israel’s right to battle the terrorist group and visited Tel Aviv last week in a show of support for Israel after Hamas murdered more than 1,400 people, including 32 US citizens, in a surprise attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Biden last week also requested that Congress OK $14.3 billion to arm Israel’s military with both defensive and offensive weapons.

But the New York Times and Fox News reported that behind the scenes, the US has urged Israel to pause its planned ground invasion to allow for the negotiated release of more hostages.

On Friday night, Biden appeared to publicly advocate for Israel to stall its invasion plans, saying “yes” when asked about the possibility — before a spokesman insisted that his boss “didn’t hear the full question” and didn’t mean to convey that position.

Pope Francis said last week, “I call on all believers to take only one side in this conflict — that of peace, not with words but with prayer.

“The victims are increasing, and the situation in Gaza is desperate,” the pope said. “May please everything, everything, be done to avoid a humanitarian disaster, and it’s possible that this war might grow. War does not solve any problems. It only sows death and destruction.”

White House spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the US believes up to 10 Americans may still be held hostage in Gaza. Two were released Friday. Hamas on Monday released two more hostages, both Israeli citizens.