From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Biden: Israel faces ‘added burdens’ but must differentiate between Hamas, Palestinian civilians
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Speaking at a political event, US President Joe Biden says Israel is dealing with unique challenges in its ongoing war against the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group.
“[Israel] faced a burden that few… countries have to face… a military enemy that says they have one goal: the elimination, the elimination – using terror – of the entire State of Israel,” he says, according to deputy White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton.
“Hamas has no regard — none whatsoever — for whether those students or those civilians live or die. They faced additional burdens, too: Hamas is holding a significant number of hostages, including American hostage,” he adds.
Despite these “added burdens,” Biden says Israel must differentiate between Hamas and Palestinian civilians, urging it to work to minimize non-combatant deaths.
“We are talking to Israel and Arab partners about a political future for the Palestinian people and a two-state solution with Israel’s security guaranteed, where Israel enjoys peace and normal relations with Arab neighbors,” he says.
The US president also repeats his assertion that “one of the reasons Hamas moved when they did is… [because] I was working very closely with the Saudis on the formal recognition of Israel.”
The Times of Israel Community.