White House cleans up Biden’s claim that Israel is losing support: John Kirby insists the U.S. and Netanyahu STILL have a close relationship and the president still believes in a two-state solution as he’s bombarded with questions

The White House has cleaned up President Joe Biden's stunning rebuke of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahusaying the two men have a close relationship and that the US will not question Israeli decisions.

White House spokesman John Kirby was repeatedly questioned during Wednesday's news conference about what President Biden's intent was when he said Israel is losing support around the world and that his conservative administration must “change.”

Kirby said Biden was merely expressing concern about civilian casualties in Gaza. He also reiterated Biden's support for a two-state solution after Netanyahu indicated he planned to keep Israeli troops in Gaza long after the fighting ended.

“He expressed concern that we continue to see civilian casualties in Gaza and, again, that we want to make sure that as they work on it, they actually achieve those kinds of results that they can minimize,” he noted. .

Pressed repeatedly about the status of US-Israeli relations and whether Biden was placing conditions on his support for the war against Hamas, Kirby said: “He raised those concerns as a true friend of Israel, someone who loves and respects Israel and for his entire public life.'

He noted that Biden and Netanyahu remain friends.

'They have a long-term relationship. They will maintain that relationship. They will keep talking. I think you can expect him to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu in the future about what we can do to continue to support Israel.”

The US reassurance came after Israel vowed that its war against Hamas will continue no matter what, and rejected one of Biden's key requests regarding the Palestinian Authority.

“Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said.

His double down came after Biden's rebuke of the Israeli prime minister.

Netanyahu had his own response, using Biden's criticism to unite the Israeli right by rejecting Biden's call to revive the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank so that it could govern Gaza after the war can take over.

He vowed that he “will not allow Israel to repeat Oslo's mistake,” referring to the 1993 Oslo Accords that were intended to allow limited Palestinian self-rule. The country's conservative right wing hates the deal.

The Israeli Prime Minister has also indicated that he will keep Israeli troops in Gaza indefinitely.

Kirby noted Wednesday that Biden “still believes a two-state solution is possible.” It's a vision, he understands that it may seem a little elusive right now given what's happening in Gaza.”

Biden has supported Israel since the surprise attack by Hamas forces on October 7 killed 1,200 people. But his words of warning – delivered behind closed doors at a political fundraiser on Tuesday – were his strongest echo yet of concerns about the collateral damage of Israel's military assault on Hamas: more than 18,000 dead in Gaza and a massive humanitarian crisis on the West Bank.

“They're starting to lose that support because of indiscriminate bombings that are happening,” Biden said of Israel.

But Israel rejects any idea of ​​a reduction in forces or a ceasefire.

“A ceasefire at its current stage is a gift to the terrorist organization Hamas and will allow it to return and threaten the people of Israel,” Cohen said.

Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, will travel to Israel on Thursday to meet with Netanyahu and discuss how long the fighting will continue.

“I will certainly be talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu, the War Cabinet and Israel's senior national security leaders about timelines on how they think about that,” Sullivan said at a Wall Street Journal forum on Tuesday.

But he would not say whether or not he would discuss pressuring Israeli officials to curtail the military campaign.

The US is beginning to feel its own isolation when it comes to unapologetic support for Israel.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council approved a ceasefire resolution, which the US promptly vetoed. But on Tuesday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a non-binding measure of the same proposal.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has roundly rejected US plans for the region's future.

He ruled out any role for the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority in Gaza, which Washington is keen to see, creating a rift between the allies.

“There is disagreement about 'the day after Hamas,'” Netanyahu said in the video statement on social media, “and I hope we will reach an agreement here too.”

“After the great sacrifice of our citizens and our soldiers, I will not allow the entry into Gaza of those who teach terrorism, support terrorism and finance terrorism,” Netanyahu said. “Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan.”

Sullivan said he would speak with Netanyahu and other officials about plans for the region after the war.

“We have made it clear that we believe reoccupation of Gaza is a bad idea,” he said.

'It shouldn't happen. We believe that the Israeli government ultimately understands that. We also believe that there should be some kind of interim security arrangement while we work toward a long-term political solution for both Gaza and the West Bank.”

Biden has pushed for a two-state solution for the territory.

Israel has retaliated harshly against Hamas since the terrorist group attacked on October 7. But many countries express concern about the number of Palestinian civilians who will be killed if Israel bombs Gaza.

Nearly 16,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents displaced since the war began.

The damage is also significant. Nearly 40,000 buildings, or about 18% of all pre-conflict structures, have been damaged or destroyed in the Gaza Strip, a UN assessment showed on Tuesday.

With little aid allowed into Gaza, Palestinians face severe food shortages and a lack of water and other basic goods. Some worry that Palestinians will be driven out of the area altogether.

About 1,300 people on the Israeli side have been killed since the war began. Israel says Hamas still has 117 hostages and the remains of 20 people killed in captivity or during the initial attack.