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Biden talks tough on Netanyahu's approach in Gaza: ‘What he’s doing is a mistake’
Joe Biden ramped up pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire and widening a rift between the two staunch allies that has worsened as the war has dragged on.
An outspoken supporter of Israel’s war against Hamas, US President Joe Biden has come down heavily on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza, calling it a mistake. The United States has lately turned critical of Israel's approach, especially after an air strike killed seven workers with the food charity World Central Kitchen, most of them foreigners.
In an interview aired late Tuesday, Biden told Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, “What he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach.”
Biden was responding to a question on whether Netanyahu was prioritising his political survival over the national interest.
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The conflict has led to a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with warnings of famine and widespread displacement. Despite Israel's claims of increasing aid deliveries, aid groups have criticised the slow distribution of supplies, citing logistical challenges and security concerns.
The challenge of distributing aid in the war-torn region was further hit by the Israeli air strike that killed WCK workers. Netanyahu admitted that its armed forces killed seven aid workers in an air strike in Gaza but claimed it was "unintentional".
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"Unfortunately, in the last day there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip," he said.
"It happens in war, we will investigate it right to the end... We are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again."
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However, Biden expressed outrage over the incident and Washington warned of a sharp shift in its policy over Israel's war against Hamas. This prompted Israel to announce that it would allow "temporary" aid deliveries into famine-threatened northern Gaza.
Biden said Israel was acting on the requests he had put to Netanyahu. "I asked them to do what they're doing," he said.
