President Joe Biden is trying to negotiate a path towards a Palestinian state while also expressing a wish to see Hamas defeated in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict. But his recent remarks and deeds have made people wonder how he will handle this difficult and explosive circumstance. 

President Biden’s assertion that Hamas must be destroyed but that there should also be a path to a Palestinian state demonstrates the difficult balancing act that must be performed. He has issued a warning against any prospective Israeli reoccupation of Gaza, calling it a grave error. This attitude is consistent with long-standing American policy, which favours a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue while defending Israel’s right to self-defense.

In order to strengthen Israel’s position in the current crisis, the U.S. government has increased the deployment of warships in the area. The Israeli military has positioned itself along Gaza’s border in preparation for a protracted assault to destroy the militant organisation. As the conflict enters its tenth day, militant rocket attacks into Israel persist despite a week of continuous airstrikes that have completely destroyed entire neighbourhoods. This has sparked new airstrikes and increased the conflict’s intensity.

The circumstance surrounding the al-Quds Hospital in Gaza is one particularly alarming development. Following Israel’s evacuation order, which the Red Crescent rejected as impractical, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that five airstrikes were directed towards the hospital. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, this conflict is the deadliest of the five in Gaza for both sides, having resulted in 2,670 Palestinian deaths and 9,600 more injuries. Separately, on October 7, Hamas launched an attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 Israelis, most of whom were civilians. Israel said that at least 155 people, including children, were abducted by Hamas and brought into Gaza. Israel has suffered the most fatalities in a fight since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria during this one.

President Biden’s handling of the complex and evolving situation has faced criticism from various quarters. He has expressed concerns about the enduring Israeli occupation of Gaza, even as he contemplated a visit to Israel, displaying a nuanced approach aimed at striking a balance between unwavering U.S. support for Israel and acknowledging the Palestinian and broader regional issues.

In an interview with CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” President Biden stressed his stance that Israel must adhere to the laws of war and ensure that innocent civilians have access to basic necessities. Furthermore, he asserted that the region should be administered by a Palestinian authority, advocating against Israel’s long-term sovereignty over it. Notably, he made it clear that the events in Gaza should not be seen as representative of all Palestinians and highlighted that Hamas and its extremist factions do not speak for the entire Palestinian population.

This interview aired as the Israeli Defence Forces prepared for a potential ground invasion of Gaza, leading to mass migration of residents and concerns about a humanitarian crisis. More than 2,600 deaths in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials, have heightened the urgency of finding a solution. Accepting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer of assistance could be seen as a display of unity and support for efforts being made on a regional level to contain the situation, but it also draws attention to the poor relationship between Biden and Netanyahu. Part of these tensions are the result of Netanyahu’s efforts to curtail the authority of Israel’s judicial system.

The efforts of both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to seek mediation and humanitarian aid are demonstrated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return to Israel after meetings with Saudi and Egyptian leaders and by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt inviting Biden to a conference on the conflict. The opening of the Rafah border crossing by Egypt has also been supported by the United States.

In the interview, President Biden discussed his team’s plans to work with the Egyptian government to make it easier to evacuate women and children from the war zone and to create a safe zone for Gaza inhabitants. He reaffirmed his conviction that Israel had to act in response to the original Hamas attack, which had caused a sizable number of casualties. While President Biden tries to strike a balance between American interests, backing for Israel, and support for a Palestinian state, his strategy is still being scrutinised. The issue is complicated, and resolving the current crisis will be extremely difficult for him. His administration’s capacity to handle a complicated and delicate international problem is still being put to the test by the changing dynamics of the Israel-Hamas conflict.