Contradictory Stances: Biden Urges Netanyahu to Reduce Civilian Casualties in Gaza, Yet Suggests US Response Would be ‘Decisive and Overwhelming’ in a Similar Attack

Joe Biden was told last night that he had to make a decision on what Israel should do after the latest confusing signals from the White House.

The president spoke harshly in public, emphasizing that Israel has a “duty” to provide a “rapid, decisive and overwhelming” response to Saturday’s attack by Hamas, which left more than a thousand dead.

At the same time, he personally urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid civilian casualties, White House officials said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll in the area passed 900 on Wednesday morning after four days of brutal Israeli airstrikes, as Jerusalem prepares a ground invasion.

“Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right and obligation to respond to these vicious attacks,” Biden tweeted.

Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi Mosque in Gaza City

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Biden that Hamas is ‘even worse than ISIS, and we must treat them as such’

“I just got off the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu and told him: If the United States were to experience what Israel was experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive and overwhelming.”

But he later urged Netanyahu not to behave like a terrorist.

“We also discussed how democracies like Israel and the United States are stronger and more secure when we act in accordance with the rule of law,” he said.

‘Terrorists deliberately target and kill civilians. We enforce the laws of war. It is important.’

It comes after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for a ceasefire before deleting his tweet, and the White House Palestinian Affairs Office also backtracked on calls for Israel to withdraw.

Republicans on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee had rejected the administration’s “mixed messages” about appeasing Hamas.

“These initial responses from your administration are deeply concerning,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Your administration’s foreign policy has resulted in a number of national security failures and has demonstrated total weakness on the world stage.

US President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, makes remarks after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

As dawn broke on Wednesday, more airstrikes were launched into Gaza

Palestinians are seen sifting through the rubble in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes

“We must affirm that Israel has every right to respond to these barbaric acts of terror.”

The White House said it was working with other countries to provide civilians with safe passage out of Gaza through a southern corridor leading to neighboring Egypt.

Netanyahu’s office said he told Biden that Hamas has murdered families in their homes, raped and murdered women, beheaded soldiers and burned children.

“We have never seen such brutality in the history of the state,” the prime minister said.

“They are worse than ISIS, and we must treat them as such.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Gaza will become a “tent city” and said he has loosened “all restrictions” on his forces, while vowing to raze every building in revenge for Hamas terror attacks this week. weekend.

Hamas wanted change and will get it. What was in Gaza will be no more,” he said, speaking to soldiers at the Gaza fence.

‘We started the offensive from the air, later we will also come from the ground. We’ve been controlling the area since day two and are on the offensive. It will only intensify.”

Gallant promised to show no mercy to the terrorists.

“Whoever comes to behead and kill women and Holocaust survivors – we will eliminate him at the height of our power and without compromise.”