President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the humanitarian situation in Gaza and strikes on aid workers are unacceptable and that U.S. policy could change if Israel doesn’t fix its approach, the White House said Thursday.
During a call, Mr. Biden said Mr. Netanyahu must announce and implement “a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers,” according to a readout.
Mr. Biden, it continued, “made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”
The comments amounted to some of the most forceful comments by Mr. Biden toward Israel since Mr. Netanyahu and his forces launched a campaign against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror raid.
Mr. Biden has supported Israel’s effort to eliminate Hamas and free hostages from the October raids. But the president faces pressure, mostly from within his party, to crack down on Israel’s military tactics, given the rising human suffering and civilian deaths in Gaza.
Those calls came to a crescendo this week when an Israeli airstrike killed seven workers from World Central Kitchen, the food relief organization. The workers were traveling in a marked vehicle and had coordinated their movements with Israeli forces. The strike drew global condemnation.
Mr. Biden, in the call, called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and told Mr. Netanyahu to empower negotiations to bring Hamas-held hostages home.
The president also said he supports Israel in the face of threats from Iran, according to the White House readout.