Middle East crisis: Biden rebukes Netanyahu over civilian deaths, but reaffirms his support
President Biden on Saturday rebuked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel over the rising number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, even as he reaffirmed US support for a longtime ally.
“He has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue to pursue Hamas, but he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives that are being lost as a result of the actions that are being taken,” Mr. Biden said of Mr Netanyahu in one interview with MSNBC.
“In my opinion, he is hurting Israel more than he is helping Israel,” Mr. Biden said, appearing to refer to Mr. Netanyahu’s military strategy. “It goes against what Israel stands for, and I think it’s a big mistake. That is why I want to see a ceasefire.”
When asked by the interviewer, Jonathan Capehart, whether he had a “red line” that Mr. Netanyahu should not cross, such as a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, Mr. Biden gave a muddled answer but said that “the defense of Israel still critical.”
“He cannot allow another 30,000 Palestinians to be killed as a result” of his pursuit of Hamas, the president said, referring to Mr. Netanyahu.
“There are other ways to deal with the trauma caused by Hamas, to achieve it,” he added.
Mr. Biden provided no details. The Gaza Health Ministry has said more than 31,000 people have been killed in the enclave since Israel started the war in response to Hamas attacks on October 7.
But the president’s comments once again underscored the delicate position the United States finds itself in: arming Israel while providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Mr Biden has been more forceful in recent days about the plight of civilians in Gaza, urging Mr Netanyahu not to go ahead with his stated plans to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect the civilians to protect those who shelter there. More than a million Gazans have sought refuge in the city, many of whom have been displaced by orders from the Israeli army to move to so-called safe zones.
In recent days, United Nations officials have warned that the enclave is on the brink of famine. At least 25 people have died there from malnutrition and dehydration, says Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said in a statement on Saturday.
Under Mr. Biden, U.S. military cargo planes have dropped food, water and other aid into Gaza a handful of times in recent days. Mr. Biden is expanding those efforts with a plan to build a floating pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver more supplies to the enclave.
But U.S. officials have acknowledged that cutting off air aid and building a pier will not be as effective as delivering supplies by land, an option that Israel has largely blocked.
In the MSNBC interview, Mr. Biden said he remained hopeful that the United States could help broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the holy month of Ramadan approaches this week.
“I think it’s always possible,” Mr. Biden said.