The President of USJoe Biden declared that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be “a big mistake.” The statement was made in an interview with the CBS program 60 Minutes, which aired on Sunday evening the 15th. According to him, Hamas does not represent all Palestinians.
“I think (the invasion) would be a big mistake. What happened in Gazain my opinion, this is Hamas, and the extremist elements of Hamas do not represent the entire Palestinian people. It would be a mistake for Israel to reoccupy Gaza,” he said.
However, according to him, “the elimination of extremists is a necessary prerequisite.” Biden avoided criticizing Israel and the operations that led to the deaths of civilians in Gaza.
The White House is in talks with Israeli officials about a possible trip by Biden to Israel, possibly as early as this week, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
The American government continues to support Israel, as demonstrated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return visit to the country on Monday, as Israel prepares for an air, land and sea invasion of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the terrorist group Hamas.
Biden’s trip to Israel would be a sign of US support after the October 7 Hamas attack. Photo: DIV/60 Minutes
Ahead of the expected invasion, hundreds of thousands of people in northern Gaza are fleeing in buses, cars and on foot, crowding narrow roads leading south. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman, said on Sunday that around 600,000 people had been evacuated to the south and that others were expected to follow suit.
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The Israeli army said it was preparing a “broad range” of offensive plans “for the next phases of the war, with a focus on significant ground operations,” but gave no specific details about when the attack would begin.
Blinken traveled around the Middle East trying to prevent the war with Hamas from sparking a larger regional conflict. Biden has already voiced strong support for Israel and a trip there would be a sign of U.S. support following the October 7 Hamas attack./WP and AP