An agitated Joe Biden has called Israel’s military actions in Gaza ‘over the top’ in his harshest criticism since the bombings and invasion began.
The US president rebuked his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a press conference at the White House on Thursday as he discussed a report on his mishandling of classified documents.
Biden said he was trying to broker a longer ceasefire to get humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, and push for the release of Hamas hostages.
‘I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,’ the 81-year-old president said.
‘I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire. I’ve been working tirelessly on this deal.
Joe Biden has called Israel ‘s military actions in Gaza ‘over the top’ in his harshest criticism since the bombings and invasion began
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 27,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed, with thousands more feared to be buried under rubble in Israel’s response to the surprise attack
‘I think if we can get the delay, the initial delay, I think we would be able to extend that so that we could increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes.’
Biden added he was pushing for increased humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians and to get a temporary pause in place to allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
‘I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire,’ he said, before describing the war’s toll on Palestinian civilians.
‘There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s gotta stop.’
Israel began its military offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on October 7.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 27,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed, with thousands more feared to be buried under rubble in Israel’s response to the surprise attack.
There has been one truce to date, lasting a week at the end of November, when Hamas released some of its hostages.
Biden rebuked his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , at a press conference at the White House on Thursday
Israel began its military offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on October 7
Biden used the same phrase to describe Hamas’ demands for the release of the remaining hostages on Tuesday.
The group that runs Gaza wanted a 135-day ceasefire, all Israeli troops withdrawn from Gaza, and 1,500 Palestinian prisoners released.
Biden described the demands as ‘a little over the top’ but Mossad, Israel’s security agency, said it was ‘looking intently at what was presented to us’.
Netanyahu slammed the terrorists’ demands as ‘bizarre’ and said to agree to them would ‘only invite another massacre’ when they are ‘a finger away from a decisive victory.’
Netanyahu responded unequivocally, stating: ‘Surrendering to Hamas’ delusional demands that we heard now not only won’t lead to freeing the captives, it will just invite another massacre.’
‘We are on the way to an absolute victory,’ Netanyahu said, adding that the operation would last months, not years.
‘There is no other solution,’ he said as he called for the ‘total elimination of Hamas.’
When pushed on whether his government would accept the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, Mr Netanyahu said: ‘Well, we haven’t actually committed to anything.
‘There is supposed to be some kind of process of negotiations with the mediators, but from what I’ve seen, after the response of Hamas, I don’t know what is happening,’ he said.
People inspect the damage to their homes following Israeli air strikes on February 9 in Rafah, Gaza
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip
Hamas proposed three 45-day phases of releases, starting with all women, male civilians under 19, the elderly and the sick, in exchange for some of the Palestinian prisoners.
The IDF would then have to withdraw from populated areas and cease aerial operations before the male soldiers are released in exchange for other convicts.
In the final phase, the bodies of the dead hostages would be returned for the last batch of terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons.
But the terror group demands also call for a complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and would effectively allow Hamas to rebuild its military and remain in power.
It also states that a third of Palestinians freed in exchange for the hostages would be those handed life sentences.
Qatar is claimed to have leaned on Hamas to drop its demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces in return for up to 5,000 Palestinian prisoners being released.
Negotiations are ongoing between Israel, the US, and the Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo.
The Daily Mail understands all sides are pushing for an agreement before Ramadan next month that can be a time for increased religious fervor.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with Israeli leaders today to advance the cease-fire talks while pushing for a larger postwar settlement.
It would see Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel in return for a ‘clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state’.
Blinken landed in Tel Aviv after Israel after meeting the leaders of mediators Qatar and Egypt in the most serious diplomatic push of the war so far aimed at reaching an extended truce.