Don't be consumed by rage, Biden warns Israel after Gaza hospital tragedy

By Emre Basaran

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Joe Biden "cautioned" Israel late Wednesday as he visited the country in the wake of the strike on a Gaza hospital that took hundreds of lives: "While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it."

"After 9/11, we sought justice, got justice but we also made mistakes," Biden added, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks after which US went on to invade Iraq to challenge the leadership of Saddam Hussein, even though Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks.

Some have compared the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas to the US’ 9/11 attack, as both took the countries by surprise and took many casualties. But Israeli overreach from the attack could bring negative consequences to the region, an effect many believe US missteps also had.

Continuing his visit to Israel, which began Wednesday, Biden again reiterated the US' full support for Israel.

"Israel, you're not alone, the US stands with you," he said.

Biden also said they "believe in the fundamental dignity of human life, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Jew, Muslim, Christian, everyone," a tenet that many, especially in the Muslim world, have questioned in the wake of Tuesday's Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip, leading to some 500 civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The attack was followed by protests in many world capitals, blaming both Israel and its longtime ally the US.

Israel denies it was involved in the attack on the hospital.

After the attack, footage on social media showed corpses scattered across the hospital grounds.

Thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, were at the hospital when the building came under bombardment, according to an Anadolu reporter.