President Joe Biden said Monday that he was open to discussions of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas if the Palestinian terrorist organization released all of the hostages that it still holds in Gaza.

Biden’s remarks contrast with Israel’s stated goal of eliminating Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack, in which the group murdered more than 1,200 people, wounded more than 4,000, and took more than 200 hostage.

The Times of Israel noted:

US President Joe Biden says any discussions about a Gaza ceasefire can only take place if Hamas frees all hostages seized from Israel in its October 7 attack.

“We should have those hostages released and then we can talk,” Biden says at a White House event, when asked if he would support a “hostages-for-ceasefire” deal.

The comment indicates that the US may not support Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas, should the 220 people kidnapped by the group be released.

Two weeks ago, Biden said that Israel had not only a “right,” but a “duty” to fight Hamas. Israelis were deeply grateful for his support, but now some are beginning to doubt he meant to keep his promise.

One theory commonly expressed in Israeli media is that Biden intends to “hug” Israel so tightly with rhetorical expressions of support that it cannot actually take practical military steps to defend itself.

It is possible that Biden is bluffing to help facilitate the release of the hostages before an Israeli ground invasion. But his current stance would simply allow Hamas to achieve victory in the war by restoring the old status quo, which Israel says it cannot abide.

Editor’s Note:  This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.  The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.