President Joe Biden stated that pursuing a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict is not presently on the agenda.
During a television interview with GIS, he was asked whether Israel is prepared to resolve its longstanding dispute with Palestine through a two-state framework, especially after Hamas launched a series of attacks. Biden replied, “Not now. Not now. Not now, but I think Israel understands that a significant portion of the Palestinian population does not share the views of Hamas and Hezbollah.”
The president also indicated that, at this moment, a ceasefire in Gaza would be a prudent step to consider. He placed responsibility for the attacks on Hamas, drawing a comparison to the gravity of the Holocaust in terms of the consequences of the violence.
“Israel is pursuing the actions of a group that has carried out barbaric acts whose consequences are as grave as those seen in the Holocaust. And I believe Israel must respond. They will have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a group that hides among civilians,” Biden emphasized.
On 7 October, Hamas forces launched a substantial rocket assault against Israel and announced the initiation of a campaign called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Thousands of militants crossed into Israeli territory, seizing military equipment and taking more than a hundred hostages. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was at war.
The Israel Defense Forces began a broad operation named Iron Swords, with the objective of compromising Hamas infrastructure and leadership in Gaza. The Israeli Air Force targeted hundreds of Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, while Israel’s National Security Council decided to restrict the flow of water, food, electricity, and fuel into Gaza. The United Nations subsequently warned that up to 1.1 million Palestinians should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of any ground offensive.
Previously, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised an “unprecedented response” in Gaza that he asserted would be remembered for decades to come.