US President Joe Biden sharply responded to a journalist who asked about the situation with the release of Israeli hostages.
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Before a White House meeting between Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the journalist asked whether the American leader considered a deal to release the hostages before the end of his term achievable.
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“Do you think you can protect yourself from being hit by a camera behind you?” — the US President asked in response.
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Harsh remarks against journalists are not uncommon for Biden: when he was asked in May whether he planned to complete a second term if re-elected, the American leader asked whether the reporter had hit his head.
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On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. After this, militants from the Palestinian Hamas movement entered the border areas, opened fire on military and civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. According to the authorities, about 1.2 thousand people died on the Israeli side.
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In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords, which included attacks on civilian targets, and announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: supplies of water, electricity, fuel, food and medicine were stopped. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the conflict, more than 43.5 thousand Palestinians have been killed and over 102 thousand injured.
