President Biden warned that a new Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a “big mistake,” saying in an interview with CBS that while Hamas needs to be eliminated, it doesn’t represent all Palestinian people. The remarks on “60 Minutes” — made ahead of a potential trip to Israel this week, a person familiar with the discussions said — are one of his firmest efforts to signal restraint to Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaches critical levels. About 600,000 people there have evacuated south, according to a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, which are gearing up for an assault on Gaza. A U.N. official appealed for “immediate, unconditional access” for lifesaving aid to be allowed into the enclave. Food and water supplies in Gaza are dangerously low and hospitals there will run out of fuel within 24 hours, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday.
