By midnight in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gesture to Biden. The government said in a statement that aid to Gaza will be delivered to Gaza, including through the port of Ashdod and the Erez crossing point between Israel and northern Gaza, which Hamas attacked on October 7 and which Israel has since closed. He said he would increase the transportation of goods. The statement did not say when the intersection would reopen.
Biden administration officials provided details of the private phone call on condition of anonymity and said Netanyahu had agreed to additional commitments aimed at reassuring the president. The officials said, among other things, Israel is committed to taking further steps to reduce civilian casualties and empowering negotiators to broker a temporary cease-fire agreement in exchange for the release of hostages.
The deal reportedly came as US officials warned there would be consequences if Netanyahu resisted. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, responding to a call between the president and prime minister, said afterwards that Israel needs to do more to increase the flow of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, a challenge that has grown exponentially since the attacks on aid workers. He said it is expanding. Several groups urged them to reconsider their activities on the ground.
“If we lose respect for human life, we risk becoming indistinguishable from the people we confront,” Blinken said during a stop at NATO headquarters in Brussels. “Despite the important steps Israel has taken to allow aid to Gaza, the current reality in Gaza is this: results on the ground are woefully inadequate and unacceptable.”
The Secretary of State made clear that the Biden administration is prepared to pay a price if Israel continues to deny its advisers. “If we don't see the changes we need to see, there will be policy changes,” he said.
The president has long refused to curb the flow of arms to influence Israel's approach to war. Biden said his support for Israel was “rock-solid and unwavering” after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took hundreds of hostages in October. Despite growing criticism of what he sees as overreach in military operations, he has so far remained steadfast in his oath.
But with growing agitation on the political left, especially in swing states like Michigan, even some of Mr. Biden's closest Democratic allies, including fellow Democratic Sen. People are increasingly taking the view that management of the situation should be strengthened. A native of Delaware and a confidant of the president.
“I think we're getting to that point,” Coons told CNN Thursday morning. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the Israeli military to force its way into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, “drops 1,000 pound bombs, sends battalions to go after Hamas, and does not provide any civilian or humanitarian aid.” ” In this case, he added: Then, “I will vote on the terms of aid to Israel.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu did not immediately release the details of his phone call with Biden, but appeared unyielding in other comments Thursday. In a meeting in Jerusalem with visiting Republican lawmakers sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, the prime minister strongly pushed back against Biden's long-standing insistence on a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.
“There will be a counter-movement, an attempt to force a Palestinian state down our throats, and it will become a haven for new terrorism, a starting point for new attempts, just like the Hamas state in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. the prime minister said. “Israelis overwhelmingly oppose this.”
In a separate video statement, he focused on the Iranian threat. “Iran has been acting against us for years, both directly and through its proxies,” Netanyahu said, referring to Israeli airstrikes that killed seven people. “Iran has therefore acted against us, both directly and through its proxies. In both, we are acting against Iran and its proxies.” Iranian military officers in Syria this week.
“We will know how to protect ourselves,” he added. “And we will act on the simple principle that those who attack us or attempt to attack us, we will attack them.”
A White House statement said Mr. Biden supported Israel against Iran in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that, in addition to Mr. Blinken, included Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. He pointed out that the president's aides were also included.
“The two leaders also discussed Iran's public threats against Israel and the Israeli people,” the statement said. “President Biden has made clear that the United States stands firmly behind Israel in the face of these threats.”
However, unlike previous comments, the latest White House statement makes no mention of October 7 or the current ceremonial defense of Israel's rights in response to Hamas. Instead, he stressed that “an immediate ceasefire is essential,” and said Biden “asked the prime minister to authorize negotiators to reach an agreement without delay to bring the hostages home.” Negotiators, including CIA Director William J. Burns, are scheduled to travel to Cairo on Saturday for further talks on such a deal, said the people briefed on the condition of anonymity.