WOODSIDE, California: U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he had made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution was the only answer to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict and that occupying Gaza would be "a big mistake."
Biden told reporters he was doing everything in his power to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, but that did not mean sending in the U.S. military.
The U.S. president had told reporters this week that his message to the hostages was "Hang in there, we're coming," raising questions about what he meant.
Asked to clarify the comment, Biden told a news conference: "What I meant was, I'm doing everything in my power to get you out. Coming to help you, get you out. I don't mean sending in military in there ... I was not talking about the military."
Biden said he was working on the issue constantly, and would not stop until the hostages - including a three-year-old American child - were freed.
Qatar, where Hamas operates a political office, has been leading mediation between the group and Israeli officials for the release of more than 240 hostages taken when the group stormed into Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel then launched an unrelenting bombardment on Gaza and late last month began an armoured invasion of the enclave, where more than 11,000 people have been killed, around 40 per cent of them children with more buried under the rubble, according to Palestinian officials.
Biden said Hamas was committing war crimes by having its military headquarters under a hospital, repeating a statement made by a White House spokesperson on Tuesday, and he was confident about the U.S. intelligence supporting that "fact."
He said Israel had gone into Gaza's biggest hospital, Al Shifa, with a limited number of troops with guns, and was not carpet-bombing the site.
"They were told ... we discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful," Biden said, adding that Israel had an obligation to use as much caution as possible in going after targets.
But he said it was "not realistic" to expect Israel to stop its military actions, given threats by senior Hamas officials that they intended to attack Israel again.
He said Israel was also bringing in incubators and other equipment to help people, and were giving doctors, nurses and other staff the opportunity to "get out of harm's way."
Israel on Wednesday said its troops found Hamas weapons and combat gear in Al Shifa hospital during a search on Wednesday. Hamas dismissed the announcement as "lies."
Biden said he had told Netanyahu that he did not believe the war would end until a two-state solution was reached.
"I made it clear to Israel that I think it's a big mistake to for them to occupy Gaza," he said.