Biden Tells Netanayhu US Support Hinges on Protecting Civilians

President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that US support for his war in Gaza depends on new steps to protect civilians، a shift in position for the US leader who has faced increased pressure to take a harder line against Israel amid mounting deaths.

The warning، delivered in a Thursday phone call between the two leaders، signaled that Biden is toughening his stance after an Israeli strike that that killed seven people delivering food to displaced Palestinians in Gaza. Biden called the incident “unacceptable،” according to a White House description of the conversation. 

Concrete measures to protect civilians

The US president said Israel must “announce and implement a series of specific، concrete، and measurable steps to address civilian harm، humanitarian suffering، and the safety of aid workers،” the White House said in a statement. Biden said an “immediate” cease-fire is necessary to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Netanyahu to secure a deal in long-running، indirect negotiations with Hamas.

“He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps،” the statement said. “President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable.” 

Biden did not specify when and how he might shift his approach to the Israel-Hamas war، which is in its sixth month and has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. But his statement is the closest he has come to placing new requirements on US support for Israel’s military operations. 

The Israeli government did not immediately release a description of the call. Earlier Thursday، Netanyahu vowed to press on with its war effort. 

White House spokesman John Kirby declined to elaborate on what steps the US would take if Israel does not do more to protect civilians، including if Biden would withhold military assistance. Kirby told reporters Thursday after the call that the US expects “some announcements coming from Israel in the coming hours and days،” without providing further details.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels that “if we don’t see the changes we need to see، there’ll be changes in our policy.” He did not detail the nature of those potential changes.

Curbing civilian deaths

The US for weeks has urged Netanyahu to curb civilian deaths and has objected to a plan to invade the southern enclave of Rafah، where more than 1 million Palestinians fled during Israel’s war with Hamas.

This week’s air strike on a convoy of workers from World Central Kitchen، a disaster relief group founded by celebrity chef José Andrés، signaled a breaking point for the White House. 

Kirby said Thursday’s call، which he said lasted around 30 minutes and described as “direct” and “businesslike،” was scheduled in response to the bombing. Biden was “shaken by the attack” that killed the aid workers and “felt strongly” it was time to talk to Netanyahu، the spokesman said. It was their first call since mid-March. 

Israel has said the strike inadvertently hit the aid workers and is conducting an investigation to determine how the strike occurred. Kirby said that probe is “close to complete.”

The president is facing mounting political pressure from progressives، as well as Arab- and Muslim-Americans، who object to his support for Israel’s war effort. The aid-worker attack prompted Democrats to issue fresh calls for placing conditions on American military backing for Israel. 

Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas، designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union، has also drawn criticism from Republican Donald Trump، who vocally supported Netanyahu during his presidency.

Trump in a Thursday interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt said Israel has to finish the war quickly and that it is “losing the PR war،” while declining to answer whether he still remains 100% behind Israel.

“You’ve got to get it over with، and you have to get back to normalcy. And I’m not sure that I’m loving the way they’re doing it، because you’ve got to have victory،” he said. “They shouldn’t be releasing tapes like that. They’re doing، that’s why they’re losing the PR war.”