Joe Biden says what's happening in Gaza 'not genocide'
United States President Joe Biden defended Israel’s ongoing onslaught in the Gaza Strip, saying that what is happening in the besieged enclave is 'not genocide.'
'Let e be clear: contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that,' Biden stated during a Jewish American Heritage Month celebration at the White House.
Joe Biden also opposed the decision by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
'Let me be clear: we reject the ICC's application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Whenever these warrants may apply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas,' he emphasized.
Previously, Karim Khan had sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas, including political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Khan stated that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for 'war crimes and crimes against humanity' in Palestinian territories, particularly the Gaza Strip, from at least October 8 of last year.
Since a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7 that resulted in 1,200 deaths, Israel has killed more than 35,500 Palestinians in Gaza. The ongoing air and ground assaults have devastated the Palestinian enclave, causing widespread internal displacement and severe shortages of essential supplies.
The situation also led to a trial at the International Court of Justice, which in January ordered Tel Aviv to prevent its forces from committing acts of genocide and to ensure humanitarian aid is provided to civilians in Gaza.
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