Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on the October 7 last year resulted in an Israeli counterattack on Gaza. Al Jazeera reported 41,870 Palestinians have died.
Last year Obama called for a balanced approach, saying Israel needed to defend itself while adhering to international law.
“As I stated in an earlier post, Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence, and I fully support President Joe Biden’s call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families,” he said.
“But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters as President Biden has repeatedly emphasised that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations.”
Obama acknowledged the complexities of the situation.
“This is an enormously difficult task. War is always tragic, and even the most carefully planned military operations often put civilians at risk. It’s understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again.
'You’re a war criminal': backlash as Obama pins blame on Hamas attack
'We continue to hope for a return of all the hostages and an end to the violence'
Marking a year of bloody war in Gaza, former US president Barack Obama pinned the blame for the conflict that has claimed thousands of lives on the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7 2023. This has drawn criticism.
“One year ago, Hamas launched a horrific attack against Israel, killing more than 1,400 Israeli citizens — including defenceless women, children and elderly — and kidnapping hundreds more. Today [Monday] the prospects of peace seem more distant than ever, but we continue to hope for a return of all the hostages, an end to the violence, a rejection of hate and a future in which both Israelis and Palestinians can enjoy the security and stability that most of them yearn for,” he said in a post on social media.
Obama's tweet, which had 32-million views, drew criticism. Many condemned him for his support of Israel, which they argue contradicts his calls for peace.
One user, Najat Abdi, said: “You sent the largest military aid package to Israel in history. You’re a war criminal.”
Another user, Irving Gatell, said: “You did nothing to achieve peace. Because of you, the world is more dangerous. Shame on you.”
Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on the October 7 last year resulted in an Israeli counterattack on Gaza. Al Jazeera reported 41,870 Palestinians have died.
Last year Obama called for a balanced approach, saying Israel needed to defend itself while adhering to international law.
“As I stated in an earlier post, Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence, and I fully support President Joe Biden’s call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families,” he said.
“But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters as President Biden has repeatedly emphasised that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations.”
Obama acknowledged the complexities of the situation.
“This is an enormously difficult task. War is always tragic, and even the most carefully planned military operations often put civilians at risk. It’s understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again.
“The world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire. Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes.”
He criticised Israel's decision to cut water and electricity in Gaza, which led to suffering of civilians.
“The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis, it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” he said.
He urged a strategy that can “incapacitate Hamas while minimising further civilian casualties”.
The mixed reactions to Obama's statements continued on social media:
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