US President Joe Biden spoke at a political event on Tuesday and commented on the situation in the Middle East as Israel continues to fight Hamas in Gaza.
Biden noted that Israel “faced a burden that few countries have to face… a military enemy that says they have one goal: The elimination - using terror - of the entire state of Israel.”
“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 hostages,” added the President, according to deputy White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton.
He then stressed, “But I’ve said from the beginning that those added burdens do not lessen Israel’s responsibility to distinguish between the Palestinian people and Hamas and to take care to minimize civilian deaths.”
Biden also reiterated his support for a “two-state solution” for the Israel-Palestinian Arab conflict, saying, “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.”
“I think one of the reasons Hamas moved when they did is...I was working very closely with the Saudis on the formal recognition of Israel,” added Biden.