Obama: I Have No Sympathy for Hamas

When asked about the Middle East crisis at a press conference on Wednesday, President Obama condemned Hamas. “I have no sympathy for Hamas,” he said twice. He also stressed that the group acts “extraordinarily irresponsibly” by “putting civilians at risk.” In contrast, Obama said he has “great sympathy” for the Palestinian Authority and Gazan civilians. He also expressed hope that the 72-hour ceasefire would hold past its Friday expiration to allow both Palestinians and Israelis to move forward with a long-term peace plan. Reports indicate that Israel wants to extend the ceasefire, but Hamas has rejected that plan.