Joe Biden says Israel making ‘mistake’ in handling of Gaza war
- US president rebuked Israel’s Netanyahu and reiterated the need for a ceasefire
- Israel’s military campaign continues to lay waste to the Gaza Strip and kill civilians
US President Joe Biden issued some of his sternest criticism yet of Israel’s war on Hamas, calling its approach a “mistake” as the country faces a Wednesday court deadline to prove it is not throttling aid to hunger-stricken Gaza.
With global outrage over the toll inflicted by the six-month-old war growing, Biden rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict and reiterated the need for a ceasefire.
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Spanish-language TV network Univision in an interview that aired Tuesday night.
He urged Netanyahu “to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country”, in remarks that underscored the dramatic shift in tone from Israel’s main ally and military backer.
Biden’s comments come as US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators seek progress on a truce and hostage release deal that also proposes ramping up aid deliveries to address a worsening hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Israel insists it is not limiting aid and has complied with US and United Nations demands to scale up the deliveries.