Biden: Netanyahu made a mistake in Gaza, I call for a ceasefire and aid delivery

(Patria) - US President Joe Biden said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy in Gaza was a "mistake" and called on Israel to call for a ceasefire, in an interview on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Biden's comments were some of his strongest criticisms to date of Netanyahu amid rising tensions over the civilian death toll in Israel's war against Hamas and the dire conditions in Gaza.

"I think what he's doing is a mistake. I don't agree with his approach," Biden told
Univision, a Spanish-language US television network, when asked about Netanyahu's handling of the war.

He reiterated that last week's Israeli drone strike that killed seven aid workers from a US-based humanitarian organization in Gaza, sparking a tense phone call with Netanyahu, was "outrageous".

"That's why I'm calling on the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, to allow for the next six, eight weeks of complete access to all the food and medicine going into the country," Biden added.

The remarks on a ceasefire marked a shift from his previous comments, in which he said the onus was on Hamas to agree to a truce and hostage release deal.

Biden also increased pressure on Israel to let more aid into Gaza, saying he had spoken to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt and they were "ready to move this food".

"There's no excuse for not providing for the medical and nutritional needs of these people. It should be done now," he added.

Biden's interview underscored a dramatic shift in his Israel policy after Israeli killings of World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza sparked global outrage.

Biden had backed Israel since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, while also expressing concern about the human toll in Gaza. But it was not until his tense phone call with Netanyahu last week that he finally warned that the United States would be forced to change policy if Israel did not change its own practices in Gaza.

In the call on Thursday, Biden said Israel must increase aid and protect civilians immediately and urged Netanyahu to "empower his negotiators" to quickly reach a ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel responded by agreeing to open new aid crossings the same day, while also announcing over the weekend that it was withdrawing troops from the southern city of Khan Younis.

But ties remain tense as Netanyahu insisted he had set a date for a major offensive on Rafah on the Egyptian border, which Washington strongly opposes.

With elections in November, Biden faces growing opposition to his Gaza policy from Muslims and young people, with key allies urging him to change course.