Biden to Netanyahu: Agree to an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza or lose U.S. support

By lauraharris // 2024-04-09

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President Joe Biden has explicitly called upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in a phone call between the two leaders, stressing that future American backing for Israel depends on its plans to protect Palestinian civilians and stabilize humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. The phone call, which lasted less than 30 minutes, came after the World Central Kitchen (WCK) appealed to Australia, Canada, Poland the United States and the United Kingdom, to participate in an independent investigation into the airstrike that claimed the lives of seven WCK aid workers deployed in Gaza. "This was a military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles," said WCK. "All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route and humanitarian mission. An independent investigation is the only way to determine the truth of what happened, ensure transparency and accountability for those responsible, and prevent future attacks on humanitarian aid workers." In response, Biden called Netanyahu to discuss the escalating war in Gaza. Biden stressed the need "to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers." Biden even argued that an "immediate ceasefire is essential," while urging Netanyahu to reach a deal with Hamas "without delay" to protect the innocent civilians in Gaza. (Related: New U.S.-backed United Nations resolution calls for "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza.) Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who echoed the stance of Biden, also warned of potential policy changes if Israel fails to adjust its conduct.

"If we don't see the changes that we need to see, there will be changes in our policy," he said in an interview. "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."

Biden is giving Israel a conflicting message

The U.S. has been supplying vital military assistance and diplomatic backing to Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel. Support for Israel to defend itself has been a part of U.S. foreign policy for over fifty years, and up until now, there has been no sign that the U.S. was prepared to condition or withhold any military aid. However, Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of Middle East studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, argued that the Biden administration is only sending a conflicting message to Israel. Experts argue that these mixed signals gave Israel the license to announce its intention to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt, where relentless Israeli assaults forcibly displaced as many as 1.5 million Palestinians. In turn, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not help but criticize the Biden administration on X, formerly Twitter. "Demanding Netanyahu to stop killing civilians and supplying him with weapons is an unprecedented principled and moral contradiction," the ministry posted on March 30. JoeBiden.news has more stories about President Joe Biden's stance on the Gaza conflict. Watch the massive anti-Gaza invasion protest in New York. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Biden is giving Israel a conflicting message

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