President Biden somewhat agreed with Pro-Palestinian protesters who interrupted his speech in North Carolina Tuesday by demanding that he do more to address the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Mr. Biden was speaking in Raleigh about the Affordable Care Act when the protesters began shouting him down roughly five minutes into his speech. As Mr. Biden began pledging his commitment to the Obama-era law that provides health care for Americans, the demonstrators erupted.
“What about health care in Gaza?” protesters shouted.
“Everyone deserves health care,” Mr. Biden responded.
“Hospitals are being bombed,” another demonstrator shouted.
The protesters went on for a good minute, shouting as the president silently stood at the podium.
“Be patient with them,” Mr. Biden told the audience. “They have a point. We need to get a lot more health care into Gaza.”
Mr. Biden has been the subject of repeated demonstrations during public events as the enclave’s population grows hungry with children dying of malnutrition during the Israeli military invasion.
The Biden administration is trying to get food and other desperately needed assistance into Gaza by using the U.S. military to build a floating dock off the territory’s coast. It’s expected as many as 1,000 troops will be involved in the construction.
House Democrats are increasingly putting pressure on Mr. Biden to cut off military assistance to Israel over accusations it is restricting aid to Gaza, a claim the Jewish state has denied.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which has faced questions about its ties to Hamas, alleges that Israel is no longer allowing food convoys into northern Gaza. Israel maintains that the claim is not true.