In a recent call, President Biden emphasized the need for Israel to safeguard civilians amidst the Gaza conflict, aligning with US policy assessments
President Joe Biden recently communicated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing the importance of Israel taking “specific, concrete, and measurable” steps to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza. This conversation marks the first direct interaction between the two leaders following an incident where an Israeli attack resulted in the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers. The White House expressed that Biden criticized the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation as unacceptable.
During their conversation, Biden highlighted the imperative for Israel to initiate immediate actions that would alleviate the harm and suffering inflicted. The U.S. policy regarding Gaza, as Biden outlined, will hinge on the evaluation of Israel’s efforts to protect civilians. John Kirby, a national security spokesperson for the White House, indicated potential consequences for Israel should it fail to augment aid flow into Gaza and safeguard civilians and humanitarian workers. However, specifics on possible policy changes remained undisclosed.
Kirby refrained from detailing the nature of these consequences but implied a need for significant changes from the Israeli side to avoid adjustments in U.S. policy. Despite this, the Biden administration has not considered imposing conditions on aid and weapon transfers to Israel, maintaining support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza against Hamas.
The administration’s support extends to Israel’s self-defence capabilities, with Kirby reiterating the U.S.’s unwavering commitment to assisting Israel in this regard. Reports from U.S. media have revealed that the Biden administration approved the transfer of significant military supplies to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs, underscoring the continued U.S. support for Israel’s defence strategies against perceived threats.
