US PRESIDENT Biden late Thursday offered one of his sharpest rebukes to date of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, saying the operation to go after Hamas had been “over the top.”
He also voiced optimism that a deal currently being brokered pairing the release of hostages with a prolonged pause in the fighting could eventually lead to a more sustained change in the war.
And he painted a stark portrait of the suffering in Gaza, insisting more must be done to stem the humanitarian crisis there.
Delivered at the very end of a fiery evening news conference, Biden’s remarks offered a new window into his view of the four-month conflict, which has tested American diplomacy and exposed divisions within his Democratic coalition.
“I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza – in the Gaza Strip – has been over the top,” Biden told reporters at the White House, describing his own efforts to open up Gaza so more humanitarian aid could flow in.
His assessment of the Israeli military campaign as excessive marked a new stage in Biden’s public posturing on the war. For much of the months since October 7, Biden has embraced Israel and staunchly defended its right to go after Hamas.
Privately, however, frustration inside the White House has been building at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for shrugging off calls by American officials to transition to a lower intensity phase of the war. Biden and his team have also been irritated by Netanyahu’s public rejections of a two-state solution, long a lynchpin of American policy in the region.
During his remarks Thursday, Biden sought to highlight the plight of Gazans who have endured heavy Israeli bombardment and a lack of essential supplies since the October 7 terror attacks, committed by Hamas.
“I’ve been pushing really hard – really hard – to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. A lot of innocent people are starving. A lot innocent people in trouble and dying. And it’s got to stop,” Biden said.
Biden has come under intense pressure from members of his own party to speak more forcefully on the situation in Gaza, and to demand a ceasefire. He has been met with protests at nearly every place he traveled in recent weeks.
