President Joe Biden defended Israel’s ground operation inside Gaza’s largest hospital, arguing Hamas still poses a significant threat to the country and calling it a “terrible dilemma” as international and domestic calls for a cease-fire mount.

What You Need To Know

  • Biden defended Israel’s ground operation inside Gaza’s largest hospital, arguing Hamas still poses a significant threat to the country 
  • Biden argued that Israeli troops’ execution of the incursion inside the hospital  makes it “a different story” than Monday when he told reporters that he expressed “concerns” to Israeli Prime Minister about the situation at Shifa hospital 
  • The president fully backed up the assessment that Hamas has a command center under the hospital 
  • As many in the international world now call for a cease-fire, the U.S. president has continued to reject the word, asking for “pauses” in the fighting instead. 

“It’s not like they’re rushing in the hospital, knocking down doors, and, you know, pulling people aside and shooting people indiscriminately,” Biden said on Wednesday during a press conference following his closely-watched meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “But Hamas, as I said, said they plan on attacking the Israelis again and this is a terrible dilemma." 

Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, ignited the war on Oct. 7 with a surprise attack on Israel that left around 1,200 people dead. 

“They want to do it again. And they've said it out loud. They're not even kidding about it, they're not backing off,” Biden said. “And so, I just asked the rhetorical question: 'I wonder what we would do if that were the case?'"

Biden argued that Israeli troops’ execution of the incursion inside the hospital makes it “a different story” than when he previously told reporters Monday he expressed “concerns” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation at Al-Shifa and hoped for “less intrusive action relative to hospitals.” That day, he declared that “hospitals must be protected.” 

“But what happened is they’re also bringing in incubators. They’re bringing in other means to help the people in the hospital, and they’ve given the doctors, I’m told, the doctors and nurses and personnel an opportunity to get out of harm’s way,” the president said. “So, this is a different story than I believe was occurring before, an indiscriminate bombing.”

On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces stormed Shifa Hospital in Gaza City – which is holding patients and civilians taking shelter – looking for Hamas militants. Israel has long argued the militant group uses the facility and others for military activities – an assessment the White House backed up on Tuesday, saying the U.S. has its own intelligence that Hamas has a command center at this particular hospital. 

During his press conference on Wednesday, Biden fully backed up that assessment that Hamas has “headquarters, weapons, materiel” below the Shifa hospital, adding he suspects others as well.  

“The first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters, their military hidden under a hospital.  And that’s a fact,” Biden said Wednesday night. 

Pressed by a reporter as he was exiting about what evidence the U.S. has to back that up, Biden said: “No, I can’t tell you.  I won’t tell you.”

Asked if he has given a timeframe for how long the U.S. would support Israel in its war efforts, Biden said he doesn’t think the war will end until “Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder and abuse and -- and just do horrific things to the Israelis.”

“I don’t think it ultimately ends until there’s a two-state solution,” he later added. 

For weeks, the president has emphasized Israel’s right and obligation to defend itself while also calling for protection of civilians in the Palestinian territories. 

As many in the international world now call for a cease-fire in the more than one-month-old Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. president has continued to reject the word, asking for “pauses” in the fighting instead. 

Biden has faced pressure from international leaders to embrace a full cease-fire and the topic has caused protests at home, including one on Wednesday night outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington.