Biden criticizes Netanyahu’s policy in Gaza, calls for ceasefire
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Biden stresses that 'Israel' must allow "full access" to all food and medical supplies to Gaza, adding that there are no justifications for withholding them from the people of the Strip, emphasizing that this action must be taken immediately.
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President Joe Biden speaks about the economy, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP)
US President Joe Biden criticized during an interview broadcast on Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy in the war on Gaza, characterizing it as a "mistake" and calling for a ceasefire.
“Well, I will tell you, I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Univision, in an interview taped just days after the Israeli occupation killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.
“I think it’s outrageous that those four, three vehicles were hit by drones and taken out on a highway where it wasn’t like it was along the shore, it wasn’t like there was a convoy moving there,” he continued, according to a Univision transcript of the interview.
Biden's statement marked one of his strongest criticisms against Netanyahu's government's policy in Gaza. The president emphasized his call for "Israel" to agree to a ceasefire and asserted that there is "no excuse" for not providing humanitarian aid.
“What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country. I’ve spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They’re prepared to move in. They’re prepared to move this food in. And I think there’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now,” Biden said in the interview.
Last week, in a pivotal, unforeseen phone call that has been awaited for six months, Biden called on Netanyahu to start taking steps toward an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Biden underscored the gravity of recent developments, particularly condemning the strikes on humanitarian workers and highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
During the conversation, Biden emphasized the imperative for "Israel" to take immediate and decisive action to mitigate civilian harm, alleviate humanitarian suffering, and ensure the safety of aid workers.
Moreover, Biden stressed the necessity for the Israeli occupation to announce and implement a series of specific, tangible, and measurable measures aimed at addressing these pressing concerns, as well as commit to a ceasefire. Furthermore, he underlined that the trajectory of US policy toward Gaza would be contingent upon the occupation's prompt implementation of these proposed steps.
