Biden: "No Request to Delay Ground Offensive in Israel... Should Proceed if Hostage Rescue Is Possible"

U.S. President Joe Biden on the 25th (local time) reiterated Israel's right to respond in the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, stating that the situation cannot return to the state before Hamas's surprise attack. At the same time, he emphasized the need for Israel to comply with the laws of war and minimize civilian casualties, and proposed the so-called 'two-state solution' as a resolution following the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.

President Joe Biden of the United States
[Photo by Yonhap News]

President Biden, during a joint press conference held after a summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House that day, stated, "I fully understand the anger felt by the Israeli people after Hamas's brutal acts of destruction," and added, "Israel has the right and responsibility to respond to the massacre of its citizens by Hamas."

He continued, "We will ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against terrorists."

President Biden emphasized, "Hamas hides behind civilians, which is a despicable and cowardly act," adding, "This places an additional burden on Israel pursuing Hamas, but that does not reduce the necessity for Israel to conduct operations in compliance with the laws of war." He urged, "Although it is difficult, Israel must do everything possible to protect innocent civilians."

Regarding humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, President Biden said, "There is a need to increase supplies," and added, "We are working with partners to achieve this." On the issue of hostages held by Hamas, he stated, "We are working around the clock with partners for the release of hostages, including Americans."

When asked whether he requested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay the ground offensive for the release of hostages, President Biden replied, "No," but added, "If it is possible to safely rescue people, that is what he should do." He further explained, "The question is whether there is a way to rescue them; if it is possible, they should be rescued."

Additionally, regarding the Palestinian side's announcement of casualties, he said, "I do not believe that Palestine is telling the truth about how many people have died," and responded, "I am not confident about the casualty figures reported by Palestine."

President Biden stated about Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on October 7, "We cannot return to the status quo before October 6," adding, "This means ensuring that Hamas cannot terrorize Israel and use Palestinian civilians as shields."

He then proposed the 'two-state' solution as an alternative to resolve the situation. The two-state solution refers to recognizing Palestine as an independent state to coexist with Israel, thereby ending the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

President Biden said, "Israel and Palestine equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity, and peace," and added, "I am concerned about extremist (Israeli) settlers attacking Palestinian residents in the West Bank. This must stop, and they must be held accountable."

Regarding the normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, he said, "My intuition is that one of the reasons for Hamas's attack is progress toward overall regional integration," and added, "We cannot put that work on hold."

He also addressed concerns about the possibility of the war between Israel and Hamas expanding due to Iran's involvement, mentioning that U.S. troops have been stationed in the Middle East since the 9/11 attacks, and warned, "My warning to Ayatollah (Iran's Supreme Leader) is that if they move against these forces, we will respond, and he must be prepared for that."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.