Biden calls Israel potentially occupying Gaza 'big mistake'
While Israeli forces prepare for a major ground offensive in Gaza, United States (US) President Joe Biden warned Israel against reoccupying the territory controlled by Hamas, labeling the potential move a "big mistake." During a recent interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Biden, however, emphasized the need for "taking out the extremists" in the region, referring to the Palestinian terror group Hamas. "I'm confident that Israel is going to act under the rules of war," he added.
Why does this story matter?
It is worth noting that this is Biden's first major public effort to restrain Israel, America's ally, in the wake of Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on it. The death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict crossed 4,000 on Monday, with CNN quoting authorities confirming the death of over 1,400 Israelis. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza revealed that 2,670 Palestinians had died, while nearly 9,600 suffered injuries in Israeli airstrikes and shellings.
Hamas doesn't represent all Palestinian people: Biden
During the interview, Biden stated, "Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas don't represent all the Palestinian people." "And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again," he added. The US president also endorsed the idea of destroying Hamas, an organization that has been designated as a terrorist group by the US and European Union (EU).
Biden calls Hamas 'bunch of cowards'
Calling the Palestinean terrorist group a "bunch of cowards," the US president stated that Israel has "to go after Hamas." "They are (Hamas terrorists) hiding behind the civilians. They put their headquarters where civilians are and buildings and the like," he added. However, Biden did express his confidence that Israel will do "everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians."
Check out US President Biden's remarks on Hamas here
Biden to visit Israel soon: Sources
On the other hand, an official of the Biden administration informed the news agency Associated Press (AP) that the US president is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days. While Biden's Tel Aviv visit is yet to be finalized, the official also revealed that talks have been underway after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited him on a "solidarity visit."
Israel has rights to defend itself: Blinken
Separately, on the Hamas conflict, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Egypt on Sunday, "Israel has the right, indeed it has the obligation, to defend itself...and to do what it can to make sure this never happens again." "The way Israel does this matters, it needs to do it in a way that affirms the shared values that we have for human life and dignity," MSNBC quoted Blinken as saying.
