US President Joe Biden appeared to indicate that the IDF would have to withdraw from Gaza as part of a peace plan, which he told reporters on Thursday night would initially place Arab forces – including the Saudis – in the enclave.
“We get the Arab nations to – particularly from Egypt all the way to Saudi Arabia – to be in a position where they would cooperate in the transition so that they could keep the peace in Gaza, … without Israeli forces staying in Gaza,” Biden said.
He spoke during a press conference marking the end of the three-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Washington.
“The question has been from the beginning, what’s the day after in Gaza? And the day after in Gaza … has to be no occupation by Israel and the Gaza Strip,” as well as the rapid entry of humanitarian aid, Biden explained.
He referenced the US decision to remove the temporary pier it had placed on the Gaza shoreline to allow for the entry of goods into Gaza by sea during the war.
“I’ve been disappointed that some of the things that I put forward” to accelerate humanitarian aid into Gaza, “have not succeeded, like the port reattached from Cyprus, I was hopeful that would be more successful,” Biden said.
Comparing Israeli and American war strategies
He linked the end of the Gaza war to the context of the Saudi deal his administration is advancing. It would include a security pact between Riyad and Washington, a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and a pathway toward Palestinian statehood.
“I put together a process for a two-state solution,” which is said was the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he explained.
Biden compared Israel’s warfare strategy in Gaza which seeks full victory over Hamas, with the US entry into Afghanistan in 2001 to destroy Al-Qaeda as well as to remove the Taliban from power.
The US President recalled that he had told Israel from the start, “Don’t make the same mistake America made” after Al-Qaeda attacked the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001.
The US entry into Afghanistan was a mistake and even more so after the US assassinated Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, Biden said.
“There is no need to occupy anywhere. Go after the people who did the job. You may recall… I was totally opposed to the occupation and trying to unite Afghanistan. Once we got Bin Laden, we should have moved on, because no one is ever going to unite that country,” he said.
Concerning Gaza, Israel shouldn’t be doubling down on destroying Hamas, Biden said.
He referenced the ongoing negotiations in Egypt and Qatar for a hostage and ceasefire deal.
“We have a chance now. It’s time to end this war,” but that doesn’t mean that Israel has to “walk away from going after” Hamas leaders such as Yahya Sinwar, Biden said.
“We’ll help you find the bad guys, Sinwar and company” he added.
Hamas is losing Palestinian public support, Biden said. “There is a growing dissatisfaction in the West Bank from the Palestinians about Hamas. Hamas is not popular now.”
“So there’s a lot of moving parts. I just have to keep moving to make sure that we get as much done as we can toward a ceasefire,” he stressed.
Biden also dismissed criticism that he had withheld arms from Israel, explaining that his issue was just the 2,000-pound bombs.
The United States had withheld a shipment of bombs designated for use in Gaza, which it lifted this week for the 500-pound bombs, but not the larger ones.
Biden underscored that he did not intend to ship those larger ones to Israel.
“I’m not providing them, 2,000-pound bombs. They cannot be used in Gaza or in any populated area” because “they cause great human tragedy and damage,” Biden said.
During his speech he emphasized his deep history with the country and his support for the Jewish State, joking that he was more popular there now than he was in America.
“By the way, look at the numbers, and in Israel. I mean, my numbers are better in Israel than they are here. But then again, they’re better than a lot of other people here too,” Biden stated.
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