Biden suggests the U.S. could condition military aid on Israel’s actions to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza | Wilnesh News

President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday: israel strike That Seven World Central Kitchen rescue workers died Earlier this week, the overall humanitarian situation was “unacceptable” and a warning was issued about a change in U.S. policy toward Israel.

Biden “made clear that Israel needs to announce and implement a set of specific, concrete and measurable measures to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers,” the White House said in the briefing.

Notably, Biden also “made clear that U.S. policy toward Gaza will depend on our assessment of Israel taking these immediate steps.”

According to two U.S. officials, Biden strongly hinted to Netanyahu that he could condition U.S. military aid to Israel on addressing humanitarian concerns in Gaza and reaching a ceasefire as quickly as possible.

“That’s the message,” one official said.

Asked to elaborate on what that might mean, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a news conference that he would not preview specific steps the U.S. might take.

“We expect to see and expect to see a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid (into Gaza) in the coming hours and days, more crossings opening, and a decrease in violence against civilians and aid workers,” Kirby said. , adding that they wanted to see Israel “immediately take practical steps to protect aid workers on the ground and demonstrate that they have taken measures to mitigate harm to civilians.”

Kirby was asked multiple times whether the United States could stop military aid to Israel and said he would not make any decisions in advance.

“Too many civilians were killed,” Kirby said. “The risks to aid workers are unacceptable. Now that some of our aid organizations are reconsidering whether they can continue operations in Gaza amid looming famine, practical steps must be taken. Let’s see What they declare, let’s see what they command, let’s see what they do.”

Two U.S. officials said Biden told Netanyahu to immediately start allowing more trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza and to relax requirements for what they can carry.

Biden also changed his stance on the ceasefire in Gaza during the call, telling the prime minister that he must agree to a ceasefire and that the easiest way to achieve that would be to reach a deal that would impose a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages by Hamas, officials explain. If Netanyahu does not agree to a ceasefire, the president has made it clear that U.S. relations with Israel will change significantly, officials said.

White House sources said the president told Netanyahu that “an immediate ceasefire is critical to stabilizing and improving the humanitarian situation and protecting innocent civilians.” Biden told Netanyahu to “authorize” his negotiators to reach a deal, This includes the return of hostages held in Gaza.

“The two leaders also discussed Iran’s overt threats to Israel and the Israeli people,” the White House added. “President Biden made clear that the United States stands firmly behind Israel in the face of these threats.”

“This is a turning point in this war,” a U.S. official said after Israel killed seven aid workers at the World Central Kitchen.

A senior Biden administration official said the call lasted about 30 minutes.

A U.S. official said before the call that Biden planned to express his anger over the incident to Netanyahu during the call.

Another U.S. official said the call between the two leaders was arranged after the strike, saying Biden was “very angry” about the incident.

The official said the president’s anger “is indicative of a broader problem with how the Israelis conduct operations” because “details of the conflict in the World Central Kitchen are either not passed on to their troops, or they are received and ignored.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, who traveled to North Carolina on Thursday, also listened to the call.

The seven workers killed in Monday’s strike included a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, according to chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen. The White House said Tuesday that Biden called Andres “to express his heartbreak over their deaths.”

Israel said it had no intention of targeting and killing humanitarian aid workers, but the charity said its team had coordinated operations with the Israel Defense Forces and were traveling in “non-conflict zones” in vehicles, including two armored vehicles bearing the World Central Kitchen logo.

After the attack, the nonprofit said Immediately suspend operations in the area.

Biden and Netanyahu last spoke by phone on March 18. In that call, Biden warned Israeli leaders against authorizing military action in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Top U.S. and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting on Monday to discuss Israel’s plans for a possible ground invasion of the city, two U.S. officials and a former U.S. official familiar with the matter said, after the U.S. rejected an Israeli offer to evacuate Palestinian civilians who had taken refuge there. , the plan caused controversy. Talk to the meeting.

Israel Officials said the plan proposed moving 1.4 million civilians from Rafah into tents in the north of the city, but it did not include addressing health, food and water needs or purchasing supplies for most of the tents.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a close Biden ally, for the first time on Thursday came out in support of U.S. sanctions against Israel if it decides to enter Rafah without provisions to protect civilians or provide humanitarian aid. Military aid sets conditions. “I think we’ve reached that point,” he told CNN.

Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch said in a statement on Thursday that the United States should stop funding Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The Biden administration “has a responsibility to stop funding the Netanyahu government’s strategy that disproportionately kills civilians, aid workers and medical personnel, uses food as a weapon, and fails to build a viable, independent Palestine alongside the Palestinian people” country’s vision”. The nation of Israel,” he said.

Meanwhile, Biden met with members of the Muslim community at the White House on Tuesday. One of the participants, Salima Southwell, founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, told NBC News that the president told the group that first lady Jill Biden has been privately urging him to end Israel and Hamas war between.

Biden’s comments came after a doctor who had been treating injured people in Gaza told the president that his wife did not want him to attend the meeting. Biden said he could relate to the first lady telling him, “Stop it, stop it now,” Suswell said. New York Times First reported review.