As Rafah braces for Israeli ground assault, Biden says 'ceasefire' more often

A Palestinian looks at the destruction after an Israeli strike on a residential building in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

US President Joe Biden spent months wanting a "pause" in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But with Israel preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah, his rhetoric is shifting to emphasize the need for a "temporary ceasefire".

It sounds like a slight rhetorical difference, but it is one that inches Biden closer to many around the world and to critics within his own Democratic Party who want a permanent ceasefire to a war in which nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed.