Calling Netanyahu’s approach ‘a mistake,’ Biden tells Israel: ‘Just call for a ceasefire’

U.S. President Joe Biden harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy throughout the Gaza War in the most drastic comments he has made since the war with Hamas began last October.

Biden spoke to TV channel Univision in an interview that was broadcast on Tuesday evening but recorded shortly after the IDF mistakenly killed seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip.

When asked if he thought Netanyahu was putting his political benefit above the national interest, Biden said, “I think what he’s doing is a mistake… I don’t agree with his approach.”

“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,” Biden demanded.

“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,” he added.

After the interview was recorded on April 3, Biden issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu to take concrete steps to protect Palestinian civilians and foreign aid workers in Gaza or risk a shift in U.S. support for Israel in the war.

468 humanitarian aid trucks were inspected and transferred to Gaza today (Apr. 9). This is the highest number of aid trucks that entered Gaza in one day since the start of the war.
More than 1200 aid trucks entered Gaza over the last 3 days. pic.twitter.com/xfnQX1JdHT

— COGAT (@cogatonline) April 9, 2024

Since then, the Israeli government has taken several measures to dramatically increase the amount of aid entering the strip. Israel announced on Tuesday that 1,200 aid trucks had entered Gaza over the past three days alone.

In his interview with the Spanish-language channel, Biden also reiterated his condemnation of the Israeli strike on the convoy of World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers that killed seven.

“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 said.

During the same day as the interview recording, Biden said he was “outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday.”

“They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.”

The IDF has since discharged two high-ranking officers and reprimanded three other senior officers who shared responsibility for the oversights leading to the tragedy.

In recent days, U.S. officials have struck a more conciliatory note, emphasizing Israel's readiness to compromise during recent hostage release negotiations, while Hamas is playing hardball.

Regarding the negotiations, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, "I believe Israel is ready and Hamas should step up to the table and be prepared to do so as well."