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Animosity between Israel and other global players boiled over Wednesday as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked” by allegations that he tried to justify Hamas’ slaughter of civilians, while other prominent world leaders declared that the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group is a collection of freedom fighters, not a terrorist organization.
The mounting anger and resentment on both sides of the debate grew as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that his country would “surge forward” with a ground assault on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip despite mounting international opposition and calls for a humanitarian pause to Israel’s response.
Mr. Netanyahu said in a national address that his unity war Cabinet is “working around the clock” to prepare for the military invasion. Israel, and no one else, will determine the timing, he said.
Militants from Hamas, which the U.S., Israel and many other states have labeled a terrorist organization, launched a brutal attack on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals. Hamas took more than 200 people hostage.
Only four hostages have been released so far despite a fierce multinational, behind-the-scenes effort to secure their freedom before they are inadvertently killed or publicly executed, as Hamas has threatened.
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Israel pounded Hamas targets in Gaza from the air Wednesday. Military officials said they killed Taysir Mubasher, the commander of Hamas’ North Sector Battalion and one of the group’s top military architects. The air campaign and limited ground operations are precursors to the inevitable full-scale land invasion. The longer Israel waits, the more global opposition to the campaign has grown because of fears of civilian casualties in the densely populated enclave.
President Biden denied that he pressured Mr. Netanyahu to delay the ground offensive, though he again stressed the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians. He said Washington remains committed to an ultimate settlement granting the Palestinians an independent state.
Speaking from the White House Rose Garden during a joint press conference with visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr. Biden recommended caution but said he did not push for a delay.
Recounting his conversations with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Biden said it wasn’t his call on when Israel should launch a ground assault on Gaza.
“What I have indicated to him is that, if it’s possible, to get these folks out safely, that’s what he should do. It’s their decision. I did not demand it,” Mr. Biden said.
Israelis have bristled at the criticism. They argue that they are the victims of the surprise attack by Hamas, which has established its base among Palestinian civilians trapped in Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that “humanitarian pauses must be considered.” The U.S., Israel’s staunchest global ally, has subtly shifted its stance toward the conflict amid a rapidly rising death toll in Gaza and widespread suffering on the ground.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 750 people were killed Wednesday alone and roughly 700 were killed Tuesday. The total Palestinian death toll, the ministry said, now stands at more than 6,500. Outside organizations have not verified those exact figures.
The U.N. warned that the situation could worsen, with the already fragile health care system in the Palestinian enclave on the verge of collapse from the relentless Israeli air campaign.
Israel and its American allies have often clashed with the United Nations over what critics view as the organization’s pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel bent, but the back-and-forth over the past two days has been especially bitter. The two sides are now engaged in a rhetorical fight over Israel’s military strategy and the perceived death and destruction it is causing.
Mr. Guterres took to the stage at U.N. headquarters in New York to deny that he suggested Tuesday that he believes Hamas was justified in its Oct. 7 assault.
On Tuesday, he said the attack on Israel “did not happen in a vacuum” and cited Palestinians’ long-standing grievances. He also strongly condemned Hamas’ attack.
The comments drew an immediate rebuke from Israel. Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Mr. Guterres “is not fit to lead the U.N.” He wrote on social media that the remarks “showed understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women and the elderly.”
The visibly frustrated U.N. leader responded directly on Wednesday. “I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statements yesterday in the Security Council as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false,” he said. “I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian people, and in doing so, I clearly stated ‘that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.’
“I believe it was necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect to the victims and to their families,” he said.
Meanwhile, the U.N. pleaded for more food, water, medicine and other basic supplies to be delivered to Gaza immediately.
The initial wave of global sympathy for Israel after the rampage has clearly evolved into a more complicated and divisive debate.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly canceled a planned visit to Israel on Wednesday and seemed to defend Hamas and its actions.
“Hamas is not a terrorist organization. It is a liberation group, ‘mujahedeen,’ waging a battle to protect its lands and people,” he told Turkish lawmakers, according to Reuters.
“The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel,” he said. “Israel’s attacks on Gaza, for both itself and those supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness.”
Mounting questions
Mr. Erdogan joins other leaders, including many from the Arab world, who have turned their fire on Israel as images of trapped and suffering Gaza residents emerge.
In the face of that opposition, Mr. Netanyahu said there will be plenty of time to figure out how and why the attack happened, including Israeli intelligence failures, but now is the time for action.
“Everyone will have to give answers on the debacle — including myself — but all that will happen only after the war,” he said. “As prime minister, I am responsible for securing the future of the state. And right now, my job is to lead the state of Israel and the people to a crushing victory over our enemies.
“Now is the time to join forces for one goal: to surge forward to victory … with deep faith in the justice of our cause,” he said, according to The Times of Israel.
Mr. Netanyahu faces tough questions about exactly what Israel plans to achieve with a full-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Chief among them is Israel’s plan for long-term governance over Gaza, home to more than 2 million people, once Hamas is destroyed and its political power eliminated.
Mr. Biden said thorny long-term issues must be considered now, but a compromise solution to create a Palestinian state is impossible in the wake of the terrorist attacks.
“When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next. And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution,” he said.
He added that he spoke with Arab leaders in the region about integrating Israelis into the broader Middle East while assisting Palestinian statehood efforts.
Mr. Albanese announced that Australia will commit $15 million in humanitarian assistance to provide emergency water and medical services in Gaza. He echoed Mr. Biden’s remarks on Israel.
“Australia unequivocally condemns the terrorism of Hamas,” he said. “We grieve for every loss of life, whether it be Israel or Palestinian. In times of crisis, respecting international law is paramount, and I commend the president for his leadership that he has shown in the example that he has set.”
• Jeff Mordock and Mike Glenn contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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