Biden Criticizes Israel’s Excessive Military Response in Gaza
President Joe Biden is working hard to secure a temporary ceasefire, as he has denounced Israel’s response in Gaza as being “over the top.”
While speaking to reporters at the White House, President Biden expressed his concern over the heavy-handed actions in Gaza, pushing for a temporary ceasefire to allow the release of hostages held by Hamas.
However, during the press conference, President Biden appeared to have made a mistake by wrongly referring to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as Mexico’s president.
It’s been reported that President Biden has been facing domestic pressure to urge Israel to stop fighting.
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Israel began its military offensive in Gaza following a terror attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people in Israel. With more than 27,500 deaths reported and thousands believed to be buried under rubble in Gaza, President Biden is striving to secure a ceasefire to address the ongoing crisis.
Saudi Arabia has insisted that no diplomatic relations with Israel will occur unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized and Israeli “aggression” on the Gaza Strip ceases. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state.
On Thursday, Israeli forces bombed areas in the southern border city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population is sheltering, as diplomats sought to salvage ceasefire talks.
During a Feb. 6 news conference, Mr. Netanyahu said it’s only a “matter of months” before Israel achieves its military goals.
When it comes to ceasefire talks, Mr. Netanyahu dismissed demands raised by Hamas as “bizarre,” saying that negotiation with the group that rules Gaza is “not going anywhere.”
Bill Pan and Reuters contributed to this report.
