White House clarifies Biden's statement on Gaza ground invasion amid hostage crisis

Shafaq News/ The White House clarified President Joe Biden's earlier statement, stating that he did not advocate for Israel to postpone its expected ground attack in Gaza. A spokesperson confirmed that the President had misunderstood the question posed by a reporter while boarding Air Force One.

"The President did not hear the question about Israel's postponement of the ground invasion, and he thought the question was whether he wanted to release more hostages," the White House official said. "The President was away. He did not hear the question. The question seemed to be, 'Do you want to see more hostages released?' It was not commenting on anything else."

Press reports have suggested Western pressure on Israel to delay the ground operation in Gaza following Hamas's release of two American hostages from the Strip. Diplomatic sources revealed that the United States and several European governments are urging Israel to postpone the invasion. These governments fear that a ground offensive might hinder efforts to secure the release of more hostages soon. The source further explained that some Western governments have citizens among the missing individuals.