Israel's response in the Gaza Strip was “exaggerated”, says Biden

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday (Feb 8, 2024) that Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip was “exaggerated”. The Democrat said he was seeking a pause in the fighting while trying to salvage ceasefire negotiations after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Hamas proposal.

“Sor the opinion, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip was exaggerated”, stated Biden told journalists at the White House, adding that he was “pressing hard” for a ceasefire with the release of hostages. “There are many innocent people who are starving, many innocent people who are in trouble and dying. This needs to stop”, he added.

Biden called on journalists to respond to a report from Robert Hur, the special prosecutor investigating him and Said he has memory problems. After talking about the case, he was asked about the war between Israel and Hamas.

When responding, referred to the Egyptian leaderAbdel Fattah El-Sisi, as the “president of mexico”. Biden said: “I think, as you know, initially, the president of Mexico, El-Sisi, did not want to open the border for humanitarian aid to enter. I talked to him and convinced him to open”.

Netanyahu rejected Hamas' ceasefire proposal on Wednesday (7.Feb.2024). The Prime Minister preached “total victory” of Israel in the war and removed negotiations with the extremist group involving the release of hostages.

Hamas presented a 135-day ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which would bring the war against Israel to an end. The plan presented by the Muslim group was the result of conversations with mediators from Qatar and Egypt, supported by the United States and Israel.

With the planned suspension of the conflict, the paramilitary group would need to release all Israeli women, men under 19 and elderly people held hostage since the start of the war. In return, Israel would release Palestinian women and children imprisoned in the country.