US President Joe Biden said that any move by Israel to occupy the Gaza Strip again would be a “big mistake”.

Asked by CBS news program 60 Minutes if he would support any occupation of Gaza by Israel, Biden replied, “I think it’d be a big mistake.”

Hamas “don’t represent all the Palestinian people,” he continued.

But invading and “taking out the extremists” is a “necessary requirement,” the US President added.

When asked if Hamas, whom Biden described as “a bunch of cowards,” must be eliminated entirely, he replied, “Yes, I do.”

“But there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state,” he continued, reiterating the long-standing US call for a two-state solution.

Israel has declared war on the Islamic terrorist group Hamas after the latter attacked Israel on October 7 and killed more than 1300 people.

When asked if he could foresee US troops joining the war, the US President said, “I don’t think that’s necessary”. “Israel has one of the finest fighting forces in the country. I guarantee we’re gonna provide them everything they need,” he said.

The US has already deployed two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support for Israel.