Biden says Israel is complying with his demands on Gaza: Joe says ‘I asked them to do what they’re doing’ after he threw down the gauntlet in phone call with Netanyahu
President Joe Biden on Friday dismissed questions about whether he had threatened to restrict the military to Israel after six foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were killed in an airstrike in Gaza.
“I asked them to do what they do,” is all he would say after Israel agreed to reopen the main border crossing into northern Gaza following a phone call on Thursday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden demanded urgent steps to address the humanitarian crisis and better protect aid workers.
Israel then announced it would reopen the main land crossing into northern Gaza.
The catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave, which has killed 33,000 people, took on a new dimension this week when three World Central Kitchen vehicles were hit by rockets.
President Joe Biden on Friday dismissed questions about whether he had threatened to restrict the military to Israel after seven foreign aid workers were killed in an airstrike in Gaza
A US citizen was among those killed when World Central Kitchen vehicles were attacked in Gaza. The result is increased concern in Washington about the crisis developing in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 33,000 people have been killed.
The charity was founded by chef Jose Andres, a familiar face in Washington’s power circles, who brought remote conflict to the doors of the White House.
Among the dead was Jacob Flickinger, 33, an American national.
The result was an upsurge in rhetoric from Biden, who was almost alone among world leaders in remaining faithfully behind Netanyahu’s deadly assault on Gaza even as a humanitarian crisis unfolded.
On Thursday, he held a 30-minute phone call with his old friend to demand steps to better protect humanitarian workers and civilians.
“He made clear that U.S. policy on Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps,” according to a White House readout of their conversation.
‘Underlining that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, he urged the Prime Minister to enable his negotiators to reach an agreement without delay to to bring hostages home.”
Netanyahu’s office did not offer its version of the call. But in comments on the same day, the Prime Minister sounded defiant.
He spoke at a meeting with visiting Republican lawmakers to deliver a three-pronged message.
‘The first is that we are going to win. Absolute. Victory is within reach. It is very close, and there is no substitute for victory,” he said, according to a readout of the meeting provided by his office.
Israel said on Thursday it would reopen the Erez-Gaza border crossing for aid deliveries
Dual US-Canadian citizen, 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger (right), was one of seven killed in the IDF drone strike
President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday to demand changes in the way Israel conducted its war in Gaza. The call indicated that U.S. policy could be changed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with visiting Republican lawmakers in Jerusalem on Thursday. “Give us the tools faster and we’ll get the job done faster,” he told them
Smoke rises over buildings after an Israeli attack in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on April 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas
‘The second is that it can be done faster.
“I’ll paraphrase someone you’ve all heard of: Winston Churchill. He said, “Give us the tools and we will do the job.” Give us the tools faster and we’ll get the job done faster.”
The conflict began when Hamas gunmen launched a terrorist attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people.
The group is believed to still be holding around 130 hostages.
CIA Director Bill Burns will lead a delegation to Cairo this weekend for talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
U.S. officials also view a ceasefire as crucial to allowing more aid and averting famine warnings.
“Let’s make a deal so that we can have a ceasefire for a few weeks to make it easier to meet the commitments to increase humanitarian aid,” White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday .