Joe Biden has issued his harshest words yet on Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, warning the government of Benjamin Netanyahu that its indiscriminate bombing of the Palestinian territory was beginning to alienate the international community.
“They’re starting to lose that support,” the US president told a fundraising event in Washington on Tuesday. In an indication of a possible shift in tone from the White House, Biden went on to call on Netanyahu to change his hardline government, Reuters reported, though separate reports suggested he also said that US commitment to Israel was “unshakable”.
The remarks came as pressure mounted from other western governments seeking a break in the relentless Israeli attacks which continued overnight. The governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand released a joint statement on Tuesday calling for a pause in hostilities to be resumed to allow for “safe and unimpeded humanitarian access” to all Palestinian civilians and the release of all remaining hostages.
Later on Tuesday the 193-member UN general assembly was set to meet in New York to vote on a non-binding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. A similar resolution brought to the UN security council by Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, on Friday failed after the US wielded its veto.
Biden’s warning for Netanyahu suggested that a crack could be opening up in his previously solid support for Israel over its punishing response to the 7 October attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people, mainly civilians. Two months of military operations inside Gaza have left more than 18,000 Palestinians killed, according to the health ministry, and an estimated 50,000 with injuries.
The Biden administration has come under increasing strain over its stance on the Israeli assault, both from the court of public opinion and from inside his own Democratic party. A recent CBS News poll found that only 20% of Americans think his approach is more likely to lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, while 38% of Democrats – substantially up from 28% last month – felt that Biden has shown too much support for Israel.
Biden was scheduled to hold his first personal meeting on Wednesday with the families of Americans taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October. NBC News reported that the families had been invited to the White House, though some might appear virtually.
Four Americans were released during the previous humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, while seven remain unaccounted for.
More details soon…