President Joe Biden Wednesday appeared to back Israel’s denial of its involvement in a Gaza City hospital explosion Tuesday that killed hundreds and drew international outrage, during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu In Israel, as international calls grow for a ceasefire in its conflict with Hamas.
Speaking with Netanyahu in a Tel Aviv hotel, Biden appeared to back Israel’s contested claim and told Netanyahu: “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”
Biden, however, stopped short of fully endorsing the claim, saying “some people are not sure.”
Biden said he was “deeply sad and outraged by the explosion,” which Palestinian officials have blamed on an Israeli airstrike and Israeli authorities say is the result of a botched rocket attack by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad—an allegation the militant group has denied.
Biden then reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel, saying he was proud to be there and the Israeli people’s courage, commitment and bravery was “stunning.”
The U.S. president added that he was looking forward to having a “thorough discussion of where we go from here.”
After landing in Tel Aviv, Biden was greeted on the tarmac by I Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for coming to Israel and giving his unequivocal support. “Just as the civilized world united to defeat the Nazis and…ISIS, it must be united to defeat Hamas. The forces of civilization will prevail for our sake, for your sake and…the sake of peace and security.”
Before leaving for Tel Aviv, Biden said he has directed his national security team “to continue gathering information about what exactly happened” regarding the Gaza explosion. It is unclear if his comments are based on new U.S. intelligence. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel’s military reiterated that the explosion was caused by a misfiring rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad—a militant group that operates out of Gaza. In its press conference, the military shared fresh aerial photos of the site and claimed they did not show craters or structural damage consistent with an airstrike.
Israel Denies Striking Gaza Hospital—After Palestinian Officials Blame Israeli Airstrike For Killing Hundreds (Forbes)
Israeli Military Announces Humanitarian Zone In Southern Gaza And Says Aid Will Be Sent ‘If Necessary’ (Forbes)
