Biden says he told Netanyahu not to 'carpet bomb' Palestinians just days after 7 October attacks

In his presidential exit interview with the broadcaster MSNBC on Thursday, US President Joe Biden revealed that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to "carpet bomb" Palestinians as he retaliated for the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks. 

That messaging came just 10 days into Israel's war on Gaza, when Biden, a longtime self-described Zionist, personally visited Israel. 

Biden says Netanyahu told him that the US carpet-bombed Germany and dropped a nuclear bomb on Japan during the Second World War, suggesting that Americans cannot lecture Israelis on military tactics. 

Biden also expressed his amazement at the depth and breadth of the Hamas tunnels in Gaza, saying he was not previously aware of their scale. 

Biden on Netenyahu:

I said, “Bibi, you can't be carpet bombing these communities.” And he said to me, “well, you did it, you carpet bombed.” “You carpet bombed Berlin. You dropped a nuclear weapon.”

Israel cannot ensure its security while ignoring the security needs of… pic.twitter.com/s4fqviO7KW

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 17, 2025