The White House stated Thursday that Biden and Netanyahu “discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people.” “President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats,” according to the statement.
The White House has released an official record of the president’s call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the report, the two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza, with Biden emphasizing that the strikes against humanitarian workers and the broader humanitarian crisis are intolerable.
Biden is also alleged to have emphasized the necessity for Israel to “announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and aid workers’ safety.”
According to the readout, Biden informed his Israeli counterpart that the US’s policy “with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps” – and emphasized that an immediate ceasefire “is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians.” Netanyahu’s administration has yet to release a readout of the call.
At a White House briefing, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated that in the next hours and days, the US will look for meaningful measures taken by Israel. He elaborates, saying that the US wishes to see a “dramatic increase” in humanitarian supplies entering Gaza, as well as a general reduction in violence against residents and relief workers.
According to Kirby, the US wants to ensure that Israel is “willing and able to take practical, immediate steps to protect aid workers and demonstrate that they had civilian harm mitigation in place.”
He adds that further information about the nature of these steps would have to be provided by the Israelis themselves. He said US policy will be dictated by how successfully Israel modifies its own policies on the ground, and he wants to see more supplies sent to Gaza as well as efforts to safeguard civilians and humanitarian workers. When asked if the White House may withdraw military aid, Kirby says he won’t comment on choices that haven’t yet been taken.
Maria Ghanchi