US president Joe Biden has said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach on Gaza was a “mistake” and urged Israel to call for a ceasefire, in an interview that aired on Tuesday.
I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Univision, a US Spanish-language TV network, when asked about Netanyahu’s handling of the war.
Biden reiterated that an Israeli drone attack last week that killed seven aid workers from a US-based charity in Gaza – and sparked a tense phone call with Netanyahu – was “outrageous”.
Biden also stepped up pressure on Israel to let more aid into devastated Gaza, saying he had spoken to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, and they were “prepared to move this food in”.
Israel said 468 aid trucks moved into Gaza on Tuesday, after 419 entered on Monday, the highest numbers in the six months since the conflict began.
“We have famine-like conditions in Gaza and supermarkets filled with food within a couple of kilometres away,” Power said.
Biden has strongly supported Israel since the unprecedented 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, while expressing growing concerns over the human cost in Gaza.
In the call on Thursday, Biden said Israel must immediately let more aid in and protect civilians, while urging Netanyahu to “empower his negotiators” to quickly reach a ceasefire with Hamas.
US President Joe Biden, in an interview that aired on Tuesday, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy regarding Gaza a “mistake” and urged Israel to demand a ceasefire.
Amid mounting tensions over the number of civilian deaths from Israel’s war on Hamas and the dire circumstances inside Gaza, Biden made some of his strongest criticisms of Netanyahu to date in his remarks.
“I believe he is making a mistake with what he is doing. When asked about Netanyahu’s handling of the war, Biden responded, “I don’t agree with his approach,” to the US Spanish-language TV network Univision.
Biden restated how “outrageous” an Israeli drone strike last week was that which killed seven aid workers from a US-based charity in Gaza and prompted a heated phone call with Netanyahu.
“My demands are that the Israelis simply declare a ceasefire, give us six or eight weeks of complete access to all food and medication entering the nation,” stated Biden.
The president had previously stated that it was up to Hamas to agree to a truce and a deal for the release of the hostages, but his remarks on a ceasefire represented a change in position.
Additionally, Biden increased the pressure on Israel to release more aid into the beleaguered Gaza Strip, stating that he had spoken with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, and that they were “prepared to move this food in.”.
“There is no justification for failing to meet those people’s food and medical needs. It ought to be finished right now,” he continued.
After 419 trucks arrived in Gaza on Monday, Israel reported that 468 trucks entered the region on Tuesday—the greatest number in the six months since the conflict started. To meet humanitarian needs, the UN claimed that it was still far less than necessary.
Distinctly, on Tuesday, USAid administrator Samantha Power stated before a US Senate subcommittee: “We are witnessing a significant shift [in aid reaching Gaza], which we hope is maintained and increased.”.
“We have supermarkets stocked with food within a few kilometers away, and famine-like conditions in Gaza,” Power declared. “Much more than 500 trucks is required. “.
When Israel killed World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza and the world went into shock, Biden’s Israel policy took a sharp turn, as the interview highlighted.
Since the historic Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, Biden has been a steadfast supporter of Israel, despite his growing concerns about the human cost in Gaza.
But he did not finally issue a warning that if Israel did not alter its own practices on Gaza, the United States would be compelled to alter its policies until after a heated conversation with Netanyahu last week.
Speaking on the call on Thursday, Biden urged Netanyahu to “empower his negotiators” in order to hasten the ceasefire with Hamas and stated that Israel needs to allow more aid in and protect civilians at once.
In response, Israel decided to establish additional humanitarian crossings and declared over the weekend that it was removing its troops from Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza.
However, Washington strongly opposes Netanyahu’s planned major offensive on Rafah on the Egyptian border, and relations are still tense because of this.
A growing number of Muslim and young voters are opposing Biden’s Gaza policy, and some of his strongest allies are urging him to veer from his current course as the US presidential election approaches in November.
Tuesday at the White House, family members of some of the US hostages that Hamas took during the attacks met with Vice President Kamala Harris in hopes of reaching a settlement.
“We must see outcomes. His son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was one of those taken into custody. Rachel Goldberg told reporters, “We need our people home.”.
The father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, exerted pressure on Hamas to accept a compromise.
Their court is where it is. We should proceed with this deal immediately,” he stated.
But even before the hostages were freed, he issued a warning, saying that Israel’s actions “should not cause sacrifice a second time around of the hostages.”. “.
Together with Reutesr and Agence France-Presse.
