Joe Biden As the death toll rises in Gaza, the Biden administration is blocking the release of a United Nations Security Council statement calling for a ceasefire. Reutersreports that the administration has blocked the effort because they believe it will impede their behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts. They have repeatedly called for both sides to deescalate. “We believe Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal measures of freedom, security, dignity and prosperity,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki this week. “U.S. officials in recent weeks have spoken candidly with Israeli officials about how evictions of Palestinian families who have lived for years, sometimes decades, in their homes, and how demolitions of these homes, work against our common interests and achieving a solution to the conflict.”