In sharp shift, Biden tells Netanyahu US policy on Gaza depends on Israeli action

WASHINGTON - The United States issued its strongest public rebuke towards Israel on April 4 since the start of its war with Hamas, warning that American policy on Gaza will be determined by whether Israel takes steps to address the safety of Palestinian civilians and aid workers.

US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must take immediate action to reduce civilian harm and suffering, the White House said after the two leaders spoke by phone.

Mr Biden also told Mr Netanyahu, in a call lasting less than 30 minutes, that an immediate ceasefire in the region was essential and called on Israel “to conclude a deal without delay” with Hamas to bring Israeli hostages home, nearly six months after the

Palestinian militant group’s Oct 7 attack.

The White House statement reflected a sharp change in Mr Biden’s tone and, for what appears to be the first time, a set of strings attached to continued US support.

By suggesting a shift in US policy towards Gaza was possible if Israel did not address the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, Mr Biden channelled his own frustration along with mounting pressure from his left-leaning political base to stop the killings and alleviate hunger among innocent civilians.

Mr Biden “made clear the need for Israel to 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 its statement.

The President also “made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps”, it added.

On April 1, Israel launched an attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza.

The White House has described Mr Biden as outraged and heartbroken by the attack but, prior to April 4’s call, the President had made no fundamental change in Washington’s steadfast support for Israel in its conflict against Palestinian Hamas militants.

In Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israel, as a democracy, to place the highest value on human life and increase the flow of aid to Gaza, adding that April 1’s “horrific attack” on World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza must be the last such incident.

“Right now, there is no higher priority in Gaza than protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance, and ensuring the security of those who provide it. Israel must meet this moment,” Mr Blinken told reporters.

Celebrity chef Jose Andres told Reuters in an emotional interview on April 3 that the Israeli attack had targeted his aid workers “systematically, car by car”.

Israel said on April 4 it would adjust tactics in the Gaza war after describing the attack as the result of a misidentification, and that inquiry findings would be made public soon. REUTERS