Israel-Gaza war: Netanyahu tells US to ‘give us the tools and we’ll finish the job’
- Israel’s Netanyahu blames Biden for withholding weapons, but the White House says ‘we genuinely do not know what he’s talking about’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Joe Biden is withholding weapons amid the war against Hamas as his country is “fighting for its life”, an accusation the White House denied.
In an English-language video statement released on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Israel last week that he appreciates Washington’s support but that it is “inconceivable” that weapons or ammunition have been held back in the past few months.
While the US paused one shipment of large bombs, the White House denied any other weapons are being withheld.
“We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “We just don’t.”
The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas, the group designated a terrorist organisation by the US and European Union that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and abducted more than 250 on October 7, triggering the ongoing war.
More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.