The US issued a strong rebuke to Israel, linking support for its offensive in Gaza to concrete actions ensuring the safety of aid workers and Palestinian civilians. President Biden, previously supportive, now called for an immediate ceasefire after an Israeli attack killed seven food aid workers.
The White House said Biden “made clear the need for Israel 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 made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps,” the White House said in a statement.
The statement marked a significant departure in Biden’s rhetoric, introducing a nuanced stance with implicit conditions for ongoing U.S. backing. Biden staunchly supported Israel, even when other governments sought to put more pressure on Israel.
The leaders’ conversation comes as the World Central Kitchen, founded by restauranteur José Andrés to provide immediate food relief to disaster-stricken areas, called for an independent investigation into the Israeli strikes that killed the group’s staff members, including an American citizen.
Furthermore, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Brussels that U.S. support would be curtailed if Israel doesn’t make significant adjustments to how it’s carrying out the war. “If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there will be changes in our policy,” he said.
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