Joe Biden: Netanyahu’s Way of Handling Gaza War is Wrong

U.S. President Joe Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Picture Courtesy: Reuters)

Mavhungunekuvule Mungomeni

(The Post News) – The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has voiced his disagreement with the approach taken by Israel‘s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in handling the ongoing Gaza war. This statement comes after Netanyahu confirmed on April 8th that his country will be launching an offensive in Rafah, Gaza.

According to reports by Kanishka Singh, President Joe Biden made the following statement during a one-hour interview recorded last Wednesday in Washington. This interview took place just days after Israeli military strikes resulted in the tragic deaths of seven aid workers at World Central Kitchen. The interview was published on Tuesday, April 9th, wherein President Biden further criticized Israel’s approach to managing the conflict.

In a statement to Univision, a U.S. Spanish-language TV network, Biden said, “I believe his actions are a mistake. I disagree with his approach. Gaza needs to have unrestricted access to food and medicine for the next six to eight weeks. My plea is for Israel to initiate a ceasefire and permit complete access to food and medicine for the next six to eight weeks”.

Biden issued a warning last week, stating that continued U.S. support for the conflict hinges on Israel’s facilitation of increased access to food and medicine. Israel refutes claims of obstructing aid entry or distribution within Gaza and has instead criticized UN agencies for their purported failure in effectively delivering aid to those in need. Despite weeks of negotiations yielding no ceasefire agreement, international pressure is growing.

Mr. Biden conveyed it was outrageous how the aid organization’s vehicles had been hit by drones and taken out on a highway. The Israel Defense Forces have since said it was grave mistakes that led to the fatal targeting of the workers. An inquiry led to two senior officers being dismissed. Biden has previously said Hamas must agree to a pause and release the remaining hostages. Israel said recently that it would open a crossing to northern Gaza and a deep-water port to allow more aid to flow into the area. It has not yet been detailed when or how these routes will be implemented.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine is causing domestic pressure in the United States. In recent weeks, President Biden has been more vocal in his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the conduct of the war, which has now lasted for six months. Despite this, the US continues to supply military equipment such as bombs, missiles, and ammunition to Israel without interruption. On October 7th, Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israeli border communities, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel reports that at least 34 of the 130 hostages still in Gaza are dead. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 33,000 Gazans, mostly civilians, have been killed during Israel’s offensive in Gaza since the October attack.