President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will only support Israel's Gaza war in the future if new measures are taken to protect civilians and aid workers.
Biden and Netanyahu had a 30-minute call after Israeli airstrikes killed seven food aid workers in Gaza, adding complexity to their strained relationship. Biden's message marks a change in his administration's support for Israel's war efforts, with the US leader threatening to reconsider support if Israel doesn't change its tactics and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The White House did not specify how US policy could change, but it could include altering military sales to Israel and America's diplomatic support on the world stage. US officials expect the Israelis to announce next steps soon, and the US will then assess whether the Israeli moves are sufficient.
Biden emphasized the need for Israel to announce and implement specific, measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. The White House stated that US policy with regards to Gaza will be based on Israel's immediate action on these steps.
Biden also urged Israel to reach an immediate cease-fire and emphasized the need for it during the direct and honest conversation with Netanyahu, according to the White House.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli government to the call.
The World Central Kitchen, founded by restauranteur José Andrés, called for an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed the group's staff members, including an American citizen.
The White House stated that the US has no plans to conduct its own investigation but urged Israel to do more to prevent harm to innocent civilians and aid workers during its operations in Gaza.
More calls for change
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that US support for Israel will be reduced if significant adjustments are not made to how the war is being carried out.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby also called for tangible and concrete changes to be made by the Israelis, beyond the long-stated calls for allowing additional aid into Gaza.
Kirby said that if there are no changes to Israel's policy and approach, there will have to be changes to the US policy. He emphasized the need for action to prevent the killing of innocent civilians.
People across the political spectrum were increasingly demanding that Israel quickly end the conflict. Former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee to face Biden this fall, said on Thursday that Israel was doing very poorly in terms of public relations and urged for a quick resolution to the violence.
Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, "End it quickly and let's return to peace and stop killing people. And that's a very simple statement. They need to get it done. Finish it fast because we need to get back to normalcy and peace."
Other threats, concerns
Biden and Netanyahu also talked about Iranian threats against Israel, Kirby said. Earlier this week, Iranian leaders promised to retaliate after an airstrike, widely blamed on Israel, destroyed Iran’s Consulate in Syria, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Wednesday the attack “will not remain without answer.”
Biden also expressed worries about Netanyahu's plan to carry out an operation in the southern city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, as Israel looks to eliminate Hamas following the militant group’s deadly Oct. 7 attack. Vice President Kamala Harris, Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan also joined the call.
Nevertheless, the Biden administration has continued to transfer arms and deliveries to Israel, many of which were approved years ago but have only been partially or not at all fulfilled. Just this week, on Monday, the Democratic administration’s “Daily List” of munitions transfers included the sale to Israel of more than 1,000 500-pound bombs and more than 1,000 1,000-pound bombs.
Officials said that these transfers had been approved before the publication of the list on Monday, the same day Israeli airstrikes hit a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza, killing seven of the group’s employees. They also noted that the bombs are not for delivery to Israel until 2025.
Boosting humanitarian aid
Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Thursday said plans to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to help increase the flow of aid into the area continue to move forward. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the pier will be operational by the end of the month or early May. Biden announced plans to build the floating pier during his State of the Union address last month.
Ryder said Israel has agreed to provide security on the shore as aid is transferred and distributed, but details are still being worked out.
Israel has accepted responsibility for the strikes but stated that the convoy was not the target and the deaths of the workers were not intentional. The country is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the killings.
Andrés criticized the Israeli military for the strike, and his organization has paused its work in Gaza.
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he wrote on X. “No more innocent lives lost.”
The conflict in Gaza started when militants supported by Hamas entered southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and the capture of approximately 250 hostages.
According to experts, the Israeli military operation in Gaza is one of the deadliest and most devastating in recent times. They claim that within two months, the offensive has caused more destruction than the destruction of Syria's Aleppo from 2012 to 2016, Ukraine's Mariupol, or, in proportion, the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II. It has also resulted in more civilian deaths than the U.S.-led coalition did during its three-year campaign against the Islamic State group.
