Israeli President: A 'Very Strong Force' Must Be Present to Prevent Hamas from Rising Again in Gaza

Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, stated that a 'very strong force' must remain in Gaza for the foreseeable future to prevent the resurgence of the militant group Hamas after the war; however, Joe Biden, the President of the United States, warned that the occupation of Gaza would be 'a big mistake.' In an interview with the Financial Times, Herzog said, 'If we pull our forces out, who will take our place? We cannot leave a power vacuum.' He emphasized the need to consider a power transition mechanism, noting that various ideas have been proposed, but 'no one wants to see Gaza turn into a terror base again.' On the other hand, Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that he explicitly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution is the only resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that 'occupying Gaza would be a big mistake.' Biden also mentioned that he believes the war against Hamas will only cease when the group can no longer kill or injure Israelis. The Palestinian militant group Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, in a terrorist attack on October 7 and kidnapped around 240 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children, women, and the elderly. According to the Associated Press, Biden emphasized that 'the only final answer is the two-state solution' where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side. Biden also urged Israel to exercise caution during military operations at the largest hospital in Gaza, Shifa. On Wednesday, Israel announced that its soldiers discovered military equipment used by Hamas during an attack on the Shifa hospital in Gaza City. According to CNN, the Israeli army stated that soldiers found a room in the hospital containing 'technological equipment along with weapons used by Hamas.' The U.S., the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. Reports by Arash Sigarachi on Hamas's 'deliberate attacks' on hospitals in Israel coincide with discussions in San Francisco where U.S. and Chinese leaders talked about cooperation and resolving disputes. The battle between Israel and Hamas is occurring alongside a war of misinformation and public deception on social media, with a verbal clash between Erdogan and Netanyahu, where Erdogan labeled Israel a terrorist state and Netanyahu accused him of supporting Hamas.