President Joe Biden described Israel’s military response in Gaza, which has killed over 27,000 Palestinians and left much of the territory leveled, as “over the top” during a news briefing on Thursday.
“I am of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,” Biden told reporters at the White House.
Biden said his administration had been working toward another “pause” in the fighting to help secure the release of more hostages who were taken during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that left over 1,200 dead. The most recent offer of a cease-fire from Hamas was rejected by Israel.
“I am pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage cease-fire,” Biden said. “I’ve been working tirelessly on this deal … to lead to a sustained pause in the fighting, and the actions taking place, in the Gaza Strip.”
Biden also took credit for convincing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who he mistakenly called the president of Mexico, to allow humanitarian aid through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing.
El-Sisi later issued a statement denying that he had needed convincing and said Egypt had always kept its side of the border opened to humanitarian aid.
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