President Biden Urges Israel to Avoid Gaza Occupation, Calls for Eliminating Hamas
In a recent interview with CBS news, United States President Joe Biden emphasized the importance of Israel refraining from occupying the Gaza Strip.
He also underscored the need to eliminate the terrorist militant group, Hamas.
Biden’s Stance on Hamas
During the interview, President Biden described Hamas as a group of cowards who hide behind civilians. He expressed the view that dealing with the extremists within Hamas is a necessary step.
Elimination of Hamas and the Path to a Palestinian State
When asked whether Hamas must be entirely eliminated, President Biden confirmed, “Yes, I do.” However, he also stressed the importance of establishing a Palestinian authority and a path toward a Palestinian state.
Israel’s Occupation of Gaza
Regarding Israel’s potential occupation of Gaza, President Biden firmly stated that he believes it would be a significant mistake for Israel to take such action. He asserted that the events in Gaza did not represent all Palestinian people, and occupying the territory again would be ill-advised.
Historical Context I
srael captured and occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.
It withdrew its settlers and troops from Gaza in 2005, leading to Hamas’ takeover of the strip in 2007.
US Israeli Ambassador’s Perspective
In a separate interview with CNN, Michael Herzog, the US Israeli ambassador, clarified that his country has no desire to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.2 million Palestinians.
He emphasized the importance of allowing people to return to their homes and safeguarding innocent civilians.
Herzog also contrasted the efforts of Israel to protect civilians with Hamas’s actions, which put civilians in harm’s way.