Biden: “I hope the Israelis will not launch a major ground invasion”

US President Joe Biden made statements regarding the attacks carried out by Israel on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Warning Israel against launching an operation in Rafah while hostage negotiations are ongoing, Biden said, “I hope the Israelis will not launch a major ground invasion. My expectation is that this will not happen.”

"I HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS"

Answering a question about whether Israel had presented a plan to the US on how it would protect civilians during the operation planned by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Rafah, Biden said, “I have advocated for a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of hostages, and I have very strong feelings about this. I am still hopeful that this can be done.”

Emphasizing that there are also Americans among the hostages, Biden stated, “My hope and expectation is that we will get this hostage deal done and bring the Americans home. The deal is currently being negotiated, and we will see where it takes us.”