Joe Biden’s statements come as Israeli troops prepare for a likely ground offensive against the Islamist movement Hamas.
Asked on the CBS television program “60 Minutes” whether he would support an Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, Biden replied: “I think it would be a serious mistake.”
Hamas “does not represent the entire Palestinian people,” he continued. But “eliminating extremists” is a “necessary step,” he maintained.
Biden’s statements come at a time when the United States and Israel are preparing a possible visit by the American President to Israeli territory, the CNN television channel and the Axios news website reported on Sunday.
According to Axios, which cites US and Israeli officials, Biden’s visit could take place at the end of next week.
“We have no new trips to announce,” said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, responsible for foreign policy, when questioned by the EFE news agency.
A visit by Biden would be a significant show of support for Israel, the United States’ main ally in the Middle East, and would follow a visit to the region by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister today. Israeli Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Saturday, in what was the fifth phone call between the two since the October 7 attack by the Islamist movement Hamas, to which Israel responded by declaring a state of war and bombing the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas attack caused around 1,400 deaths in Israel, the worst massacre in its history.
In the Gaza Strip, deaths in nine days of war exceed 2,670, the highest number in the history of the enclave – which already has more deaths than in the 55 days of fighting in 2014 -, and the injured total around 9,600.
*With Lusa
