• Source:Reuters
Add as a preferred

Israel-Hamas War: US President Joe Biden on Thursday issued his strongest public rebuke to Israel, since the beginning of its war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the crisis in war-hit Gaza or face consequences. Biden also said that the American policy in Gaza will be determined by Israel’s actions to ensure the safety of Palestinian workers. 

This was reportedly the first telephonic conversation between the two leaders since an Israeli airstrike killed at least seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen in Gaza. 

ALSO READ: Delhi Weather Update: Light Rain With Gusty Winds Expected In National Capital Today; Check IMD Forecast Here

“President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” the White House said in a statement after the conversation between the two leaders ended. 

In a call lasting less than 30 minutes, Biden also warned Netanyahu that an urgent ceasefire in the region was necessary and called on Israel "to conclude a deal without delay" with Hamas to return Israeli hostages, nearly six months after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Isreal on October 7. 

Biden ”made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers," the White House said, as quoted by news agency Reuters. 

ALSO READ: Jaishankar Gives Stern Response To UN Secy Gen's Remark On Indian Elections, Says 'Don't Need UN To Tell Me'

The president also "made clear that US policy concerning Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps," it further added. Notably, the US is Israel’s top weapon supplier and the Biden-led government provided a diplomatic shield for it at the United Nations (UN). 

About Israel-Hamas War: 

The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched unprecedented ground, air, and sea attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to an estimate by news agency AFP, Hamas’s attack on Tel Aviv resulted in the death of more than 1,100 people. In retaliation, the Israel Defense Forces launched multiple attacks and a withering barrage of strikes on Gaza that resulted in the death of over 32,782 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.