Israeli authorities have improved aid delivery to Gaza but “more needs to be done,” President Biden said on Wednesday, giving a measured assessment of how well Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done. What about the promise he made last week?
In a call with Netanyahu last Thursday, Biden said the United States could refuse to support Israel in its war against Hamas unless it did more to protect civilians and ensure adequate supplies to Gaza. On Wednesday, he said he had been “frank and frank” with the Israeli leader.
Since then, Mr. Biden said, Israel has done more to provide access to food, medicine and other critical supplies, but added that he still expected additional actions. Netanyahu pledged to increase the number of aid trucks entering Gaza and open another border crossing into the territory.
The president said Israel has done more to provide access in recent days.
“Not enough,” Mr. Biden said. “They need to do more and there is another opening to take place in the north. So we'll see what he does to meet the commitments he made to me.”
The number of aid vehicles entering Gaza has not changed significantly from last week, the United Nations said. Israel says the number of trucks arriving in Gaza has increased sharply.
However, the president remains unclear about what kind of action he will take if Israel does not meet his demands. Speaking at a news conference in the Rose Garden alongside visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden did not answer a question about whether he would clear future US arms shipments to Israel. Whether or not depends on how the Netanyahu government reacts.
Mr. Biden made the point of adding that Hamas should agree to the proposal that the US made over the weekend to release the hostages it captured on October 7 in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and release. Hundreds of Palestinians were detained. in Israeli prisons for terrorism and other crimes. “They need to continue to implement the proposal that was put forward,” Mr. Biden said.
He emphasized his commitment to achieving freedom for the more than 130 hostages still being held, including several American citizens. Vice President Kamala Harris met privately with family members of some of the hostages on Tuesday.
“We will bring these hostages home where they belong but also bring about the six-week ceasefire we need right now,” Mr. Biden said.
