Gaza – President Joe Biden's contradictory statements reflected US confusion over how to deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on a cease-fire in Gaza and his insistence on occupying the town of Rafah. The Biden administration rejects Netanyahu's policies, which have become a major embarrassment for him not only abroad but also at home in the United States.
In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, Biden said Israel's threat to occupy the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip was a “red line” for the Israeli prime minister, before he backtracked, saying there was no red line. And “I will not forsake Israel.” In what appeared to be somewhat contradictory statements during the interview, according to observers, Biden said, “They can't kill an additional thirty thousand Palestinians to keep up with Hamas fighters.”
Observers believe Biden has no real ability to pressure Netanyahu, who has stuck to moving forward with the ongoing war against the besieged Palestinian Territory since October. Observers point out that Netanyahu sees the Gaza war as the only way to save his political future and to avoid legal cases he could face.
The US president said the Israeli prime minister is doing Israel more harm than good by handling the war in Gaza. “Netanyahu has the right to defend Israel and continue to attack Hamas,” Biden added. But he should be very careful about the innocent lives that will be lost because of the actions taken,” he said, adding, “In my opinion, it will do Israel more harm than good.” Regarding Biden's statements, Netanyahu said late Sunday, “I don't know exactly what the president said, but he indicated that I am pursuing special policies against the will of the majority of Israelis and that this is harming Israel's interests.” He is wrong on both counts.
“These are not just my own principles,” he added. These are policies supported by the majority of Israelis. They support our action to destroy the remaining Hamas terrorist groups. Once Hamas is destroyed, they say, the last thing the Palestinian Authority should do is not take over Gaza, which teaches terrorism to its children and funds terrorism. They also support my position of categorically rejecting the imposition of a Palestinian state on us. The latest round of talks ended a few days ago in Cairo without an Israeli delegation due to Netanyahu's stance. The Mossad said on Saturday that efforts to reach a deal were continuing, even as hopes of a ceasefire had dwindled.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States are trying to negotiate a ceasefire during Ramadan to free hostages taken from Israel by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza. The US president has renewed his call for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza to free Israeli prisoners and provide aid.
He revealed that CIA Director William Burns was still trying to revive the talks, which had faltered in light of the lack of Israeli response and Hamas' conditions. In the absence of a cease-fire agreement, it is feared that there will be an explosive situation during the month of Ramadan, especially in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
A US intelligence website reported growing dissatisfaction and disillusionment in the White House with the Israeli prime minister's leadership. The website published an analytical article titled “Biton's Plan to Drop Netanyahu,” which discussed the White House administration's growing displeasure with Netanyahu. The article cited reports by former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Itamar Rabinovitch that the White House has long been dissatisfied with Netanyahu.
He added, “But now I think they (the Biden administration) are angry and serious.” Biden has not attacked him (Netanyahu) personally, but the attack has been informal and evident in closed meetings. He pointed out that Biden and Netanyahu disagreed on many issues, such as the situation in Gaza after the Israeli attack and the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip and fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas continued on Sunday, as the international community continued to mobilize to provide humanitarian aid to civilians threatened by famine ahead of Ramadan in the besieged territory. Moamen Ahmed said in the southern city of Rafah, “We expected that the first day of Ramadan would come and we would return to our homes and the war would be over.” But what do we do? As you can see, the bombing continues since morning! ”, one of the raids targeted a car causing casualties.
