Former national security adviser John Bolton slammed President Joe Biden’s attempt to extend the truce in the Israel-Hamas war and alleged that it benefits Hamas more than anyone else.
Bolton attacked the Biden administration on Saturday over its role in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Biden has partnered with factions of the Israeli government and with regional allies to urge both parties to consider an extended pause in fighting after the truce between the two forces ended on Friday. Bolton has spoken out against the truce, claiming it merely empowers Hamas.
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“I think the second-guessing by the Biden administration, the efforts to prolong the pause to turn it into a full ceasefire, are objectively pro Hamas because it denies Israel the self-defense right it has to eliminate the terrorist threat,” Bolton told NewsNation host Leland Vittert.
While Biden officials have not pushed for an indefinite ceasefire like some Democrats have, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pushed for a lengthier ceasefire to continue the hostage release deal.
“Looking at the next couple of days, we’ll be focused on doing what we can to extend the pause so we can continue to get more hostages out and more humanitarian assistance in,” Blinken told reporters on Wednesday.
“And we’ll discuss with Israel how it can achieve its objective of ensuring that the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7 never happen again, while sustaining and increasing humanitarian assistance and minimizing further suffering of Palestinian civilians,” the secretary of state added. The deal was temporarily extended after his remarks.
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Advocates for an indefinite ceasefire argue that a pause is needed so that humanitarian agencies can appropriately help Gaza civilians.
Israeli forces have returned to combat as of Saturday. Gazan officials have said more than 10,000 people have been killed since Israel started its military operations in October, but United States officials have expressed doubt over reports coming out of Gaza. The Gazan officials, whom Hamas has influence over, do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Thousands of children are believed to be among the casualties.
