The United States issued its strongest public rebuke toward Israel on Thursday since the start of its war with Hamas, warning that US policy on Gaza will be determined by whether Israel takes steps to address the safety of Palestinian civilians and aid workers.
President Joe Biden told Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Israel must take immediate action to reduce civilian harm and suffering, the White House said after the two leaders spoke by phone.
Mr Biden also told Mr Netanyahu, in a call lasting less then 30 minutes, that an immediate ceasefire in the region was essential and called on Israel “to conclude a deal without delay” with Hamas to bring Israeli hostages home, nearly six months after the Palestinian militant group’s October 7th attack.
The White House statement reflected a sharp change in Mr Biden’s tone and, for what appears to be the first time, a set of strings attached to continued US support.
By suggesting a shift in US policy toward Gaza was possible if Israel did not address the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, Mr Biden channeled his own frustration along with mounting pressure from his left-leaning political base to stop the killings and alleviate hunger among innocent civilians.
Mr 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 in its statement.
The president also “made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps”, it added.
On Monday, Israel launched an attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza.
The White House has described Mr Biden as outraged and heartbroken by the attack but, prior to Thursday’s call, the president had made no fundamental change in Washington’s steadfast support for Israel in its conflict against Hamas.
In Brussels, US secretary of state Antony Blinken called on Israel, as a democracy, to place the highest value on human life and increase the flow of aid to Gaza, adding that this week’s “horrific attack” on the WCK workers in Gaza must be the last such incident.
“Right now, there is no higher priority in Gaza than protecting civilians, surging humanitarian assistance, and ensuring the security of those who provide it. Israel must meet this moment,” Mr Blinken told reporters.
[ ‘They are heroes to us’: The seven aid workers killed in Monday’s Israeli air strike ]
Celebrity chef and WCK founder José Andrés said on Wednesday that the Israeli attack had targeted his aid workers “systematically, car by car”.
Israel said on Thursday it would adjust tactics in the Gaza war after describing the attack as the result of a misidentification, and that inquiry findings would be made public soon.
Speaking via video, Mr Andrés said the charity group had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said knew his aid workers’ movements.
“This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Mr Andrés said.
“This was over a 1.5, 1.8 km, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colourful logo that we are obviously very proud of,” he said. It’s “very clear who we are and what we do.”Mr Andrés called for investigations of the incident by the US government and by the home country of every aid worker that was killed.
“They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by [the Israel Defense Forces. They knowing that it was our teams moving on that road … with three cars,” he said.
[ Israeli war minister calls for elections as pressure grows on Netanyahu over Gaza conflict ]
The aid workers were killed when their convoy was hit shortly after they oversaw the unloading of 100 tonnes of food brought to Gaza by sea. Israel’s military expressed “severe sorrow” over the incident and Mr Netanyahu called it unintentional.
Mr Andres said there may have been more than three strikes against the convoy. He rejected Israeli and US assertions that the strike was not deliberate.
“Initially, I would say categorically no,” Mr Andrés said when asked if he accepted that explanation.
“Even if we were not in co-ordination with the [IDF], no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians,” he said
Asked for comment on Mr Andrés’s remarks, an Israeli military official referred to prior comments by chief of staff Herzi Halevi in which he called the incident a grave mistake and said the attack “was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers”.
[ ‘They are heroes to us’: The seven aid workers killed in Monday’s Israeli air strike ]
Mr Andrés said his organisation was still studying the safety situation in Gaza as it contemplates starting aid deliveries again.
At least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October, said the United Nations, and Hamas has previously accused Israel of targeting aid distribution sites. – Reuters
aid. – Reuters
