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President Joe Biden doesn’t think US troops need to be sent to Israel.
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In a 60 Minutes interview, Biden said “Israel has one of the finest fighting forces.”
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Biden also said the US would support Israel by giving them “everything they need.”
President Joe Biden doesn’t think the US needs to deploy troops into Israel.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Israel has one of the finest fighting forces in the country,” Biden told 60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley in an interview that aired on Sunday.
Biden’s comments were similar to what White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.
“There’s no plans or intentions to put US troops on the ground to fight in this fight between Israel and Hamas,” Kirby said, adding that he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of using troops to rescue American citizens who have been taken hostage by Hamas.
Biden also told Pelley the US would be sure to provide Israel with the necessary support amidst its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“I guarantee we’re gonna provide them everything they need,” Biden said.
The Pentagon has dispatched two US Navy carrier strike groups to the region after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel last weekend.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Saturday that the moves “signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”
Israel declared a state of war against Hamas on October 8 after Hamas launched an attack on Israel by land, air, and sea, killing hundreds of people in Israeli towns, military bases, and at a music festival. Israeli officials said their goal was to vanquish Hamas and take complete control of Gaza.
Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said on October 11 that their army planned to “wipe this thing called Hamas, ISIS-Gaza, off the face of the earth.”
Civilian deaths and injuries have been reported on both sides. More than 1,400 Israelis have died since the Hamas attacks. Gaza officials said 2,670 Palestinians have died, with thousands more injured.
A representative for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.
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