'No Interest In Occupying Gaza': Israel Envoy To UN Responds To Biden's 'Big Mistake' Warning

Israel's ambassador to the UN has said that Israel has "no interest in occupying" Gaza. His comments came after US President Joe Biden warned the Jewish country against the Gaza occupation.

Israeli armored personnel carriers move in formation near the border with Lebanon. ( Image Source :Getty Images )

Israel-Hamas War: In an interesting development, the Israeli envoy to the United Nations has said that the country has "no interest" in occupying Gaza and would do whatever is needed to "obliterate their (Hamas) capabilities". The comment came in response to US President Joe Biden's warning that the Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake". The war on Monday entered day ten as Israel continues to pound Gaza asking residents in north to move to south.

"We have no interest in occupying Gaza or to stay in Gaza, but since we are fighting for our survival and the only way, as the president [Biden] himself defined is to obliterate Hamas, so we will have to do whatever is needed to obliterate their capabilities," Israel's ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told CNN.

Earlier, in an interview, US President Joe Biden said that it would be a big mistake if Israeli goes on to occupy Gaza. He said that Hamas must be eliminated but there needs to be a way for the "Palestinian" state.

"I think it’d be a big mistake. Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that ... It would be a mistake to ... for Israel to occupy ... Gaza again. We ... but going in but taking out the extremists the Hezbollah is up north but Hamas down south. Is a necessary requirement," he said, the Guardian reported.

The US President said that he believed that Hamas must be eliminated entirely but added, "there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state." On the question of Israel baking the two-state solution, he said, "Not now. Not now. Not now, but – but I think Israel understands that a significant portion of Palestinian people do not share the views of Hamas and Hezbollah."

At least 1,300 people have died and 3,227 others have been injured in Israel after Hamas' attack, say Israeli authorities. In Gaza, at least 2,329 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes from Israel with another 9,714 more injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported ABC News.