Biden threatens to change US support for Israel in Gaza war during 'tense' call with Netanyahu
Evan Vucci/AP Photo
- Biden called for an immediate cease-fire in a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The chat came days after Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza.
- The call lasted more than 30 minutes, and was described as "tense and challenging."
In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, President Joe Biden called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and said Israel needed to do more to prevent civilian deaths or risk US support of the war.
"President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable," the White House said in a statement after the call. "He 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. He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel's immediate action on these steps."
According to Barak Ravid, a foreign policy reporter with Axios, Biden and Netanyahu's chat lasted more than half an hour and was "tense and challenging."
It's unclear if Biden called for any specific changes during the conversation.
The discussion comes days after the Israeli military killed seven humanitarian workers with José Andrés' World Central Kitchen.
After the call, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to reporters in Belgium.
"If we don't see the changes we need to see, there will be changes in our policy," Blinken said, per the Washington Post.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that the Biden Administration signed off on sending more firepower to Israel the same day the humanitarian workers were killed. Weeks before, the US also approved of transferring fighter jets and 2,000-pound bombs to Israel to continue with the war effort, which has led to more than 33,000 deaths in Gaza.