GAZA (AP) - The Palestinian prime minister said in an interview Thursday that the Biden administration must now “walk the walk” and take specific steps toward what has been an elusive two-state solution, including by applying pressure on Israel. But in Israel, the defense minister said destroying Hamas will take several more months.
The United States has shielded Israel against growing international calls for an immediate cease-fire, but is publicly disagreeing with its close ally on a post-war scenario.
Israel has drawn international outrage and rare criticism from the U.S. over the killing of civilians. More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking about 240 hostages.