Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed back on activists demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, saying such an agreement would be a \u2018gift\u2019 for the terrorist government.<\/p>\n
The former presidential candidate made the remarks during the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy\u2019s 30th anniversary event on Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018People who are calling for a ceasefire now, don\u2019t understand Hamas,\u2019 Clinton said, according to The Jerusalem Post. \u2018That is not possible.\u2019<\/p>\n
She continued, \u2018It would be such a gift to Hamas because they would spend whatever time there was a ceasefire in effect rebuilding their armaments, creating stronger positions to be able to fend off an eventual assault by the Israelis.\u2019<\/p>\n
Israel has entered its fourth week of war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and butchering civilians.<\/p>\n
As many as 9,900 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 32 Americans. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims 8,525 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 111 in the West Bank. At least 10 Americans are feared to be among the 240 people held captive by Hamas.<\/p>\n
Clinton previously faced off against a persistent heckler who demanded she comment on President Biden\u2019s \u2018warmongering\u2019 speech supporting Israel and Ukraine during a panel at Columbia University\u2019s \u2018Making Human Rights Come Alive: The UDHR at 75\u2019 event.<\/p>\n
\u2018Can you please make a statement about President Joe Biden\u2019s speech? This is a clearly warmongering speech! President Joe Biden is calling for $100 billion of funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, and we\u2019re supposed to just bundle these together and pretend like we\u2019re going to rush to World War III, and we\u2019re all just gonna let Hillary Rodham Clinton sit here and \u2014,\u2019 someone in the audience shouted said before Clinton interjected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m sorry. You know, this is \u2014 this is not a way to have a conversation. You want to have a conversation, you are welcome to come talk to me afterward,\u2019 Clinton said.<\/p>\n
Clinton offered to wait for the heckler after the event to listen and respond to their question, but the audience member would not relent.<\/p>\n
\u2018Respectfully, I do not believe you. And the fact of the matter is that the American people\u2019s voice is what needs to be heard, because \u2026 because our president is not speaking for the American people, and neither are you,\u2019 he responded.<\/p>\n
\u2018Well, then sit down! We heard your opinion. Thank you very much,\u2019 Clinton interjected.<\/p>\n
Fox News\u2019s Lindsay Kornick, Chris Pandolfo, and Landon Mion contributed to this report.<\/p>\n