US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Hamas is committing war crimes by operating from underneath hospitals.
"You have a circumstance where the first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters, their military, under a hospital. And that's a fact. That's what happened," Biden told reporters after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"Hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking Israel again, like they did before cutting babies’ heads off and burning women and children alive. And so the idea that they're just gonna stop and not do anything is not realistic," he continued.
On Israel's military operation at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, Biden said his administration has discussed with Israeli officials "the need for them to be incredibly careful."
He noted that Israel is "bringing in incubators and other means to help the people in the hospital." Biden also said that he was told that Israel gave "the doctors and nurses and personnel an opportunity to get out of harm’s way. This is a different situation than before with indiscriminate bombing."
"The IDF acknowledges they have an obligation to use as much caution as they can going after their targets. It's not like they're rushing the hospital and knocking down doors and pulling people aside and shooting people indiscriminately. This is a terrible dilemma, what do you do? Israel is also taking risks themselves going through these hospital halls," Biden added. "Hamas does have weapons and headquarters and material below this hospital, and I suspect others."
Biden said the Israeli operation in Gaza will end when Hamas can no longer murder and perpetrate horrific acts against Israelis.
Biden also said he had made it clear to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution was the only answer to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict and that “occupying Gaza would be a mistake.”
He added he was doing everything in his power to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, but that did not mean sending in the US military.
