Biden Calls Response in Gaza ‘Over the Top,’ Then Mixes Up Egypt and Mexico

US President Joe Biden said on February 8 that “the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top.”

Biden made the comment during remarks in response to a special counsel report on Thursday, February 8, at the White House.

During his 12-minute address, live streamed by the White House, Biden addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,” Biden said.

He credited himself for convincing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whom he referred to as “the president of Mexico,” to open the border, allowing for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Biden said he had been in the midst of negotiations with Saudi Arabia “and others,” aiming for the recognition of “Israel’s right to exist” and their integration to the Middle East, when the October 7 events unfolded.

“I have no proof of what I’m about to say, but it’s not unreasonable to suspect that Hamas understood what was about to take place and wanted to break it up before it happened,” he said.

Biden did not answer any questions from the press. Credit: The White House via Storyful

Video transcript

JOE BIDEN: I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza-- in the Gaza Strip has been over the top. I think that-- as you know, initially, the president of Mexico, Sisi, did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in. I talked to him. I convinced him to open the gate.

I talked to Bibi to open the gate on the Israeli side. I've been pushing really hard, really hard, to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying. And it's got to stop, number one.

Number two, I was also in the position that I'm the guy that made the case that we have to do much more to increase the amount of material going in, including fuel, including other items. I've been on the phone with the Qataris. I've been on the phone with the Egyptians.

I've been on the phone with the Saudis to get as much aid as we possibly can into Gaza. There are innocent people, innocent women and children, who are also in badly need of help. And so that's what we're pushing. And I'm pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire because, as you know, I've been working tirelessly in this deal-- how can I say this without revealing-- to lead to a sustained pause in the fighting, in the actions taking place in the Gaza Strip and--

Because I think if we can get the delay for that, an initial delay, I think that we would be able to extend that so that we can increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes. There's also negotiations. You may recall, in the very beginning, right before Hamas attacked, I was in contact with the Saudis and others to work out a deal where they would recognize Israel's right to exist, make them part of the Middle East, and recognize them fully in return for certain things that the United States would commit to do.

And the commitment that we were proposing to do related to two items. I'm not going to go in detail. But one of them was to deal with the protection against archenemy to the northwest-- northeast, I should say. The second one, by providing ammunition and material for them to defend themselves.

Coincidentally, that's the time frame when this broke out. I have no proof what I'm about to say, but it's not unreasonable to suspect that the Hamas understood what was about to take place and wanted to break it up before it happened.

[REPORTERS CLAMOURING]