Biden says Hamas must be ‘eliminated’ — but warns Israel against occupying Gaza as expected invasion looms: ‘Big mistake’
President Biden said in an interview aired Sunday night that Israel should not occupy Gaza following a devastating terror attack by Hamas, claiming the move would be a “big mistake.”
Biden was speaking to CBS’s “60 Minutes” in an interview that was filmed Thursday when he was asked about the expected military action in the Gaza Strip by Israel Defense Forces.
“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Biden said when asked if he would support an Israeli occupation of Gaza.
“Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again.”
When asked whether he thinks Hamas should be eliminated entirely, Biden said: “Yes, I do. But there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state.”
The Israeli government gave 1 million people living in the northern area of the Gaza Strip 24 hours to evacuate before an expected assault on the territory.
The Israel Defense Forces have been pummeling Gaza with rockets since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
Biden said in the interview that he supports a “humanitarian corridor” that would allow innocent civilians safe passage away from the slaughter.
“Our team is talking to them about that,” Biden said of a potential pathway to get citizens out of harm’s way. “Whether there is an outlet to get these women and children out of that area at the moment — but it’s hard.”
The president also said he wants humanitarian supplies brought into Gaza and was “confident” in Israel’s ability to carry out a justified defense.
“There’s a standard that democratic institutions and countries go by,” he said. “I’m confident that there’s gonna be an ability for the innocents in Gaza to be able to have access to medicine and food and water.”
Biden has already dispatched two aircraft carriers — the USS Eisenhower and USS Gerald R Ford — along with their strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean.
US officials are keen on deterring other actors such as terrorist group Hezbollah and Iran — likely through its proxies — from getting involved in the conflict.
Over 1,300 Israelis and 2,400 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to local authorities.
This includes at least 29 Americans, according to the US State Department.
