Israeli occupation of Gaza would be ‘big mistake’, says Joe Biden

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16th Oct, 2023. 08:48 pm
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Biden warns against Israeli reoccupation of Gaza.
Israel’s actions driven by retaliation for Hamas attack on October 7.

Israel deploys two aircraft carriers in support.

In an interview released on Sunday, US President Joe Biden warned that any Israeli attempt to reoccupy the Gaza Strip would be a significant error.

As Israeli forces geared up for a ground invasion, the country’s actions were driven by a desire for retaliation following a Hamas attack on October 7.

Israel has initiated an intense bombing campaign and issued warnings to over a million people in northern Gaza to relocate to the southern areas in anticipation of the upcoming military operation.

Asked by CBS news program 60 Minutes if he would support any occupation of Gaza by the American ally, Biden replied: “I think it’d be a big mistake.”

Hamas “don’t represent all the Palestinian people,” he continued.

But invading and “taking out the extremists” is a “necessary requirement,” he added.

In the aftermath of the Hamas attack, more than 1,400 individuals, primarily civilians, were tragically killed through various means such as shootings, stabbings, and burnings.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the days that followed resulted in the flattening of neighborhoods and the loss of at least 2,670 lives in Gaza, with the majority being ordinary Palestinian citizens.

Israel is facing stern warnings about the potential consequences of deploying ground forces in Gaza. Aid organizations are sounding alarms about the looming humanitarian crisis, concerns about the conflict escalating, and the difficulties of distinguishing between militants and civilians in the densely populated and economically challenged territory.

Furthermore, the Israeli military has confirmed on Monday that 199 individuals were taken into the Gaza Strip by Hamas during their cross-border attacks, which served as a catalyst for the devastating conflict.

“We have updated the families of 199 hostages,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing, revising up an earlier figure of 155 captives.

Individuals from Israel and other countries have been taken captive during the Hamas attack on October 7.

“The efforts on the hostages are a top national priority,” Hagari said. “The army and Israel are working around the clock to bring them back.”

Israel initially seized control of Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, and it wasn’t until 2005 that the region was entirely handed back to the Palestinian authority.

In the following year, Israel imposed a blockade, which extended to control over the airspace, land, and sea, on the 140 square miles (362 square kilometers) of land.

This territory is also bounded by Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2007, Israel reinforced the blockade after Hamas assumed control of Gaza, displacing the secular Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

When asked if Hamas — whom Biden described as “a bunch of cowards” — must be eliminated entirely, he replied: “Yes I do.”

“But there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state,” he continued, reiterating the long-standing US call for a two-state solution.

60 Minutes journalist Scott Pelley also asked Biden if he could foresee US troops joining the war.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Biden, who pulled US troops out of Afghanistan and has insisted that none will be sent to aid Ukraine as it holds off a Russian invasion, replied.

“Israel has one of the finest fighting forces in the country. I guarantee we’re gonna provide them everything they need,” he said.

In a strong display of solidarity with Israel, the United States has already positioned two aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.

Israeli occupation of Gaza would be ‘big mistake’, says Joe Biden

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