US President Joe Biden speaks during the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP)
Washington: Any move by Israel to occupy the Gaza Strip again would be a "big mistake," US President Joe Biden said in an interview released on Sunday, as Israeli troops prepared for a ground invasion.
Asked by CBS news program 60 Minutes if he would support any occupation of Gaza by the American ally, Biden replied: "I think it'd be a big mistake."
Israel has faced grave warnings about the implications of putting boots on the ground in Gaza, with aid groups warning of a humanitarian disaster, fears of the conflict escalating, and the challenges of separating militants from civilians in the impoverished, densely occupied territory.
"...there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state," he continued, reiterating the long-standing US call for a two-state solution.
