- Biden called for an immediate ceasefire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- This conversation took place days after Israel killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen in Gaza.
- The call lasted more than 30 minutes and was described as “tense and challenging.”
In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, President Joe Biden called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and said Israel must do more to avoid civilian deaths or risk U.S. support at war.
“President Biden emphasized that strikes against aid workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” the White House said in a statement after the call. “He made clear that Israel must announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable measures to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that US policy towards Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these measures.”
According to Barak Ravid, a foreign policy reporter at Axios, the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu lasted more than half an hour and was “tense and difficult.”
It’s unclear whether Biden called for specific changes during the conversation.
This discussion comes days after the Israeli army killed seven aid workers working at José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen.
After the call, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to reporters in Belgium.
“If we don’t see the changes that we need, there will be changes in our policy,” Blinken said, according to the Washington Post.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that the Biden administration agreed to send more firepower to Israel the same day the aid workers were killed. Weeks earlier, the United States also approved the transfer of warplanes and 2,000-pound bombs to Israel to continue the war effort, which has left more than 33,000 dead in Gaza.
businessinsider
