White House walks back Biden’s comment agreeing that Israel should delay Gaza ground assault
Reuters reported that reporters shouted questions at Biden late on 20 October as he was climbing the stairs to board Air Force One
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a prime-time address to the nation about his approaches to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, humanitarian assistance in Gaza and continued support for Ukraine in their war with Russia, from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S. October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool/ File Photo
The White House has stepped back from Joe Biden's comment apparently agreeing that Israel should delay a potential ground invasion of Gaza until more hostages can get out, saying the US president "didn't hear the full question."
Reuters reported that reporters shouted questions at Biden late on 20 October as he was climbing the stairs to board Air Force One.
One of the questions was whether Israel should delay an invasion of Gaza until more hostages can get out, to which Biden replied, "Yes."
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But White House communications director Ben LaBolt said later: "The question sounded like: 'Would you like to see more hostages released?' He wasn't commenting on anything else."
