Joe Biden opposes Israel’s actions in Gaza and called Egypt’s President Mexican

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza, describing them as “excessive.” Biden’s comments were made during a press conference, where he expressed his disappointment over Netanyahu’s refusal of a proposed ceasefire aimed at facilitating the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Biden emphasized his commitment to securing a temporary halt to hostilities, revealing his efforts to negotiate access for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Despite mistakenly referring to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the President of Mexico, Biden highlighted the successful discussions that led to the opening of border gates to allow humanitarian aid in.

After assuring us that his memory is fine, Joe Biden refers to Sisi of Egypt as "the president of Mexico." pic.twitter.com/D5Vbckkr1u

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 9, 2024

Specifically, he stated that in his talks, he convinced el-Sissi to open the gates, and then did the same with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His remarks were part of a broader statement concerning a report by the U.S. special prosecutor on the handling of classified information, amid voter concerns about his mental capacity.

The U.S. President’s firm stance against the escalation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, especially towards the city of Raffah, is expected to cause friction in U.S.-Israel relations, particularly after his characterization of the operations. Egypt officially responded by stating that it never closed its gates, despite Biden’s claims.