US President Joe Biden called Israel’s approach to the war a “mistake” during an interview carried out on April 3, two days after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers in Gaza, that was published late on Tuesday (April 9).
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Spanish-language TV network Univision.
Highlighting a recent change in his stance, Biden urged Netanyahu to call for a ceasefire and “allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country”.
“It should be done now,” he added.
Biden has faced some domestic backlash for his initial position in support of Israel, but his tone has grown more critical as the number of people killed in Gaza – mostly women and children – has continued to increase, reaching at least 33,360 on Tuesday according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.
Biden’s change in stance comes amid growing international pressure on Israel. For instance, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called Israel’s response in the Gaza war against Hamas “disproportionate,” and said it could end up “destabilising the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world,” while speaking to the parliament.
The Israeli government is also facing a deadline from its Supreme Court on Wednesday to explain what it has done to increase the flow of aid to Gaza.
The administration insists it has complied with international demands and is not constricting aid supplies.
Meanwhile, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on a call that no date has been set as of yet for a ground assault in the Gazan city of Rafah, according to media reports.
This article was originally published on DW.
