Obama slams Israel’s Gaza offensive, says it lacks 'military rationale'
The former president also took aim at political leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for what he called a "cynical game" of maintaining conflict to stay in power
Former US president Barack Obama on Friday (26 September) publicly criticised Israel's ongoing military action in Gaza, stating that there is no longer a "military rationale for continuing to pummel what is already rubble."
The rare comments come as global leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, a meeting roiled by the conflict, reports CNN.
I think it's fair to say that me and the prime minister of Israel, who's still there, were not the best of friends
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Speaking at an event in Dublin, Ireland, Obama emphasised the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis.
"It is unacceptable to ignore the human crisis that is happening inside of Gaza," he said, adding that "it is necessary for us to insist that both sides have to find a path in which a Palestinian state and autonomy exist side by side with a secure Israel."
The former president also took aim at political leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for what he called a "cynical game" of maintaining conflict to stay in power.
He noted his own fraught relationship with the Israeli leader during his presidency. "I think it's fair to say that me and the prime minister of Israel, who's still there, were not the best of friends," Obama commented.
However, he also condemned Hamas, stating that their "vicious approach to trying to solve a problem that puts all their people at risk is the height of cynicism that I reject as well."
Obama's remarks arrive as the current US administration also signals its frustration with the conflict.
President Donald Trump has expressed his own concerns and, speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday (25 September), drew a rare red line by stating that he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank.
"It's been enough. It's time to stop now," Trump said, acknowledging he had spoken to Netanyahu on the topic. US envoys have also proposed a 21-point peace plan to Arab leaders to end the war.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu lashed out at Western countries' recent recognition of Palestinian statehood, accusing world leaders of "buckling under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs."
The conflict on the ground continues as Israel's ground incursion into Gaza City progresses. The UN has warned that the offensive could forcibly displace about 1 million Palestinians from the city, though the Israeli military claims 6,40,000 have left since the start of the operation.
