U.S. President, Joe Biden says Israel must eliminate the Hamas terror group, but reoccupying the Gaza Strip would be a “big mistake.
Speaking to CBS news program “60 Minutes,” Biden also said a path should remain toward Palestinian statehood, while expressing confidence that Israeli forces would try to minimize civilian casualties and take steps to avoid a dire humanitarian crisis in the Strip, days after Israel ordered some 1 million Gazans in the northern part of the enclave to decamp for the southern half.
Israel is seeking to eradicate Hamas in reaction to the terror group’s brutal rampage across southern on October 7, in which 1,300 people — over 1,000 of them civilians — were killed and at least 155 more taken hostage to Gaza. Among the victims were men, women, and children, including dozens of babies. Some of the victims were mutilated and there were reportedly incidents of rape, and torture of children. In some location, entire families were murdered.