New York Governor Kathy Hochul apologized Friday for feedback she made suggesting that Israel is justified in destroying Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7 assault.

“If Canada sometime ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry, my buddies, there can be no Canada the following day,” Hochul stated in remarks that circulated extensively on social media. “That may be a pure response. You’ve a proper to defend your self and to ensure that it by no means occurs once more. And that’s Israel’s proper.”

The governor regretted her “poor alternative of phrases” and the “inappropriate analogy” in an announcement to the New York Occasions.

“Whereas I’ve been clear in my assist of Israel’s proper to self-defense,” Hochul added, “I’ve additionally repeatedly stated and proceed to consider that Palestinian civilian casualties must be averted and that extra humanitarian assist should go to the folks of Gaza.”

Since Hamas’ assault, which resulted within the demise of 1,200 Israelis, most of whom had been civilians, Israeli’s retaliatory assault has killed over 28,000 Palestinians in Gaza and generated a spiraling humanitarian disaster.

Hochul’s remark got here at a Thursday occasion hosted by the United Jewish Attraction-Federation of New York, a nonprofit and chapter of the Jewish Federations of North America. The group often sends American politicians to Israel and just lately sponsored a visit for New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams in August.

The nonprofit reportedly supplied to pay for Hochul’s two-day “solidarity journey” to Israel in mid-October, which coincided with President Joe Biden’s first journey to the nation following the Hamas assault. However Hochul’s workplace, citing a delay in an ethics overview of the funding, stated later that New York taxpayers would as an alternative foot the $12,000 invoice.

“We find out about being attacked by terrorist organizations right here in New York Metropolis,” Hochul stated after the journey. “I felt this overwhelming must go there and say, , on behalf of New Yorkers — notably the very giant Jewish group we’ve got in New York — that I needed to go there to point out our assist, meet with individuals who have endured the unspeakable.”

Hochul’s feedback come because the battle continues to rage in Gaza, with Israel gearing up for a possible floor invasion of Rafah, a metropolis close to the Egyptian border that at the moment homes 1.four million displaced Palestinians who’ve fled from different elements of the territory.

Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Below-Secretary-Normal for Humanitarian Affairs, wrote final week that Israeli army operations in Rafah “might result in a slaughter in Gaza. They may additionally depart an already fragile humanitarian operation at demise’s door.”