Joe Biden warns Israel over Gaza occupation. US President Joe Biden debated visiting Israel while warning against a prolonged Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.
The White House was attempting to strike a balance between support for Israel and concerns that the regional crisis might worsen.
Two people familiar with the internal discussions said there was no decision on whether to visit Israel yet, and a National Security Council spokesperson said the White House had no trip to announce.
The potential trip, along with the US’s acknowledgment of the worries raised by Arab leaders in the region and Palestinians in Gaza, was the latest indication that the US was attempting to prevent the crisis from worsening.
In an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Biden emphasized his belief that Israel would adhere to the laws of war and that innocent civilians would have access to food, water, and medical care.
As Joe Biden warns Israel over Gaza occupation, he added that he didn’t think Israel should have long-term control over the region, saying that it should be run by “a Palestinian authority.”
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“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Biden said. “Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people.”
The interview, which aired Sunday night, was broadcast as the Israeli Defence Forces prepared to invade Gaza on foot, sending tens of thousands of residents fleeing toward the south.
Concerns about a humanitarian crisis have been raised as a result of the mass migration, and Palestinian officials reported that more than 2,600 people have died in Gaza.
Accepting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s invitation, which he extended over the phone on Saturday, could both show support for the region’s efforts to contain the conflict and provide humanitarian aid in the wake of the deadly Hamas attack.
The most recent meeting between Biden and the Israeli prime minister took place in September in New York City.
Their bond has deteriorated this year as a result of Netanyahu’s efforts to weaken Israel’s judicial branch.
Following meetings with Saudi and Egyptian officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to return to Israel on Monday, and according to Axios, Biden has also been invited to an international conference on the conflict by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Egyptian leaders have been urged to assist in mediating the conflict by Palestinian and Israeli leaders, and the US has urged Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the White House, added on Sunday that the US had spoken with Iranian leaders in private to caution them against escalation.
In his interview, Biden stated that his team had discussed creating a safe area for Gaza residents and had spoken with the Egyptian government about helping to evacuate women and children.
“The Israelis are going to do everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians,” Biden stated.
After the initial Hamas attack, which claimed at least 1,300 lives, including 30 Americans, and left thousands more injured, Biden emphasized his conviction that Israel had to act. According to the US president, the attack last week was “as consequential as the Holocaust.”
Although he urged lawmakers to give Israel and Ukraine more military support, Biden reiterated in the interview that he didn’t see a need for US troops to intervene directly in the conflict.
According to Biden, the danger in the world has increased as a result of the dysfunction on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans have been unable to elect a new speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy for more than a week.
