Middle East conflict
Biden warns Netanyahu – and threatens consequences
Threatening Israel with consequences: US President Joe Biden. photo
© Jacquelyn Martin/AP/dpa
The deadly attack on humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza Strip prompted the US President to call Israel’s Prime Minister. In it, Joe Biden issues a clear warning. But what does that mean?
After the death of foreign aid workers in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of consequences if Israel did not increase protection of civilians. As the White House announced, Biden and Netanyahu spoke on the phone.
In the conversation, Biden called on Netanyahu to take a series of “specific, concrete and measurable steps” to reduce the suffering for the people of the Gaza Strip and increase the protection of aid workers. Future US policy towards the Gaza Strip depends on how Israel implements these measures, Biden warned.
However, it remained unclear what a possible change of course by the US government might look like. “I’m not going to preview decisions that haven’t been made yet, but there are things that need to be done,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington. “Let’s wait and see what the Israeli side does, says, what it implements and where it goes before we talk about actual policy decisions.” Looking at possible steps the Israelis could now take, Kirby said they hoped for action “in the coming hours and days.”
Kirby: Conversation between Biden and Netanyahu “very direct”
According to the White House, Biden also reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in the conversation with Netanyahu, which is “essential” to improve the humanitarian situation. Israel must “immediately” reach an agreement to ensure the return of the hostages. Accordingly, Biden and Netanyahu also spoke about the threat to Israel from Iran. As Kirby announced, Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Biden advisor Jake Sullivan took part in the call alongside Biden.
Kirby described the conversation as “very direct, very businesslike and very professional on both sides.” Biden has “explained his significant concerns about the direction and course of events” and made it clear that he is ready to rethink his own political approaches. At the same time, he made clear: US support for Israel to defend itself against a range of threats – not just those from Hamas – remains “irrefutable.”
Blinken: Aid to civilians “totally inadequate and unacceptable”
Blinken, who was in Brussels at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, said after the conversation that Israel’s measures to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip were not enough. “Despite important steps Israel has taken to enable assistance in the Gaza Strip, the results on the ground are completely inadequate and unacceptable,” he told a news conference. Nothing has a higher priority in the Gaza Strip than protecting the civilian population and expanding humanitarian aid.
At the beginning of the week, the Israeli military killed seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen in the Gaza Strip while they were on their way to provide food for people there. Israel spoke of an accidental hit and a serious mistake. After the incident, Biden expressed “outrage.” He openly accused Israel of failing to adequately protect humanitarian workers and civilians in general. Biden did not accept Netanyahu’s objection that the attack was not intentional, but countered: “This is not an isolated case.”
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said that this incident also prompted Biden to seek a personal conversation with Netanyahu again. Biden and his government have now made no secret of their lack of understanding of Netanyahu’s style of warfare and his unwillingness to listen to his partners in Washington and elsewhere.
World Central Kitchen demands third-party investigation
World Central Kitchen called for an independent investigation into the deadly attack. “We have asked the governments of Australia, Canada, the United States, Poland and Britain to join us in calling for an independent, third-party investigation,” the Washington-based organization said. The question should also be clarified “whether the attacks were carried out intentionally or violated international law in some other way.”
According to World Central Kitchen, the three bombed vehicles were clearly marked. The route “fully complied with the requirements of the Israeli authorities” and was also known to them. The victims come from Great Britain, Poland and Australia, and one helper also had Canadian and American citizenship. In addition, the team’s Palestinian driver was killed.