United States President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza. The White House reports that the conversation between the two leaders lasted less than 30 minutes. During the phone call, the American media reported citing US administration sources, US President Joe Biden was described as “very angry” about the Israeli attack in which seven volunteers working for World Central Kitchen died. For Biden, the attacks and the general humanitarian situation in Gaza are “unacceptable”.
Biden made clear “the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable measures to decrease civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.” Biden made clear that “U.S. policy toward Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these measures.” The US President stressed that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians”, and urged the Israeli Prime Minister “to give his negotiators the power to conclude an agreement without delay to bring the hostages home.”
“We will harm those who harm us or who intend to harm us.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this at a security cabinet meeting immediately after his phone call with US President Joe Biden, referring to threats from Iran. “Iran has been acting against us for years – directly and through proxies. And, therefore, Israel has been acting against Iran and its proxies – defensively and offensively,” he says. “We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle: those who harm us or intend to harm us, we will do harm”, reiterated the prime minister.
finally the Iran chapter. In the telephone conversation, Biden and Netanyahu discussed “Iranian public threats against Israel and the Israeli people”. President Biden made clear that the United States “strongly supports Israel in the face of these threats.”