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Last Updated: February 09, 2024, 07:30 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Biden also said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi initially did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in. (Image: AFP)
US President Biden criticizes Israel’s military response in Gaza. Humanitarian aid efforts amid surge in violence
US President Joe Biden said Thursday that Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip to the October 7 attacks by Hamas is “over the top.” “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top,” the 81-year-old told reporters at the White House.
This remark comes as US support for Israel’s war on the Palestinian militant group has sparked a flurry of attacks on American troops in the region, as well as criticism of the Biden administration at home and abroad. On Thursday, the United States military confirmed its forces conducted multiple strikes against Houthi missile systems as the Yemen-based rebel group prepared to launch attacks that threatened US Navy and merchant ships.
Feb. 8 Summary of USCENTCOM Self-Defense Strikes in YemenOn Feb. 8, between the hours of 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted seven self-defense strikes against four Houthi unmanned surface vessels (USV) and seven mobile anti-ship cruise… pic.twitter.com/5qKArWfj7G
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 9, 2024
Months of bombardment and siege have deepened a humanitarian crisis, especially in southern Gaza. But Biden said he had pushed to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The US President said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi initially “did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in.” “I talked to him, I convinced him to open the gate. I talked to Bibi to open the gate on the Israeli side,” Biden continued, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I’ve been pushing really hard, really hard to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and launched air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed at least 27,840 people, according to the Gaza health ministry. Militants also seized around 250 hostages. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza, of whom 29 are believed to have died. The war has sparked a surge in violence across the region by Iran-backed groups operating in solidarity with Hamas, drawing retaliatory attacks from Israel and the United States and its allies.
(With agency inputs)
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