US President Joe Biden said it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to occupy the Gaza Strip again.
The comments are the first time Biden has publicly weighed in on what the results of a looming Israeli ground invasion of the besieged enclave should look like.
“Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people,” Biden said in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” set to air Sunday.
“It would be a mistake” for Israel to occupy Gaza again, he added.
The US has thrown its full weight behind Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.
In the interview Sunday, Biden continued to support Israel’s attack saying “Israel has to respond" to Hamas' surprise attack on Israel.
“They have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a bunch of cowards. They are hiding behind civilians. They put their headquarters where civilians are and buildings and the like," he said.
Biden added that he was confident that “the Israelis are going to do everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians.”
Israel has killed at least 2,450 people in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Of those killed, 724 are children and 458 are women.
More than 1,300 Israelis were killed and scores of soldiers and civilians taken captive back to Gaza after Hamas launched a surprise multi-front assault on Israel last week.
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