Biden Critiques Israel’s ‘Over the Top’ Military Response, Demands Adherence to International Law
US President Joe Biden on Thursday criticized the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza as “over the top” amid his efforts to broker a cease-fire and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Speaking at the White House, Biden’s comments mark his sharpest criticism yet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that initiated the Israel-Hamas war.
“I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top,” he told reporters at the White House. “I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage cease-fire. I’ve been working tirelessly on this deal … because I think if we can get the delay, the initial delay — I think we would be able to extend that so that we could increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes.”
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He also highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinians caught in the crossfire and that he’s “pushing really hard to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” saying: “There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s gotta stop.”
The US President also touched on broader diplomatic efforts, including a potential normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, he noted that Saudi Arabia’s willingness to establish diplomatic relations with Israel is contingent upon the recognition of an independent Palestinian state and a stop to Israeli aggression in Gaza—a stance Netanyahu has publicly rejected.
