Joe Biden once again distanced himself from Benjamin Netanyahu. When the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, the president of the United States was, at first, unconditional in his support of the Israeli prime minister. However, in recent weeks, his support has decreased, and he has come to show his displeasure with some of Israel's decisions. On this latest occasion, he directly criticized Bibi's strategy in the Gaza Strip.
Both leaders come from some recent clashes due to Israel's intentions to invade Rafah, a key area in Gaza, while the Biden administration opposes the move, citing humanitarian causes.
"What he is doing is a mistake"
In this context, President Biden spoke on Univision and made it clear that he does not support Netanyahu's approach. "I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach," he said.
"So what I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a cease-fire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country. There’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now, "he added.
An estimated 1.4 million civilians are seeking refuge in Rafah after following instructions from Israel to leave their homes in northern Gaza.
The invasion of Rafah
Senior officials from both countries participated in a meeting that took place in early April and specifically discussed the future of the city. As it turned out, it lasted a little more than two hours and included the participation of Jake Sullivan (National Security Advisor), Ron Dermer (Minister of Strategic Affairs) and Tzachi Hanegbi (President of the National Security Council).
"The two sides over the course of two hours had a constructive engagement on Rafah. They agreed that they share the objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah. The U.S. side expressed its concerns with various courses of action in Rafah. The Israeli side agreed to take these concerns into account and to have follow up discussions between experts, overseen by the SCG. The follow up discussions would include in person SCG meeting as early as next week," the White House said in a statement.
However, the Israeli prime minister confirmed that he has already chosen a date to carry out the offensive in Rafah. "This victory requires the entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions that are there," he said on Monday.
