Biden says Netanyahu's approach to war in Gaza is a 'mistake'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the Gaza conflict was criticized by U.S. President Joe Biden, who described it as a "mistake" in a recent interview with Univision, a U.S. Spanish-language TV network. Biden further disapproved of Israel's bombing in Gaza, labeling it as "indiscriminate" and its military actions as "over the top."

Last week, the White House announced that President Biden had conveyed to Netanyahu in a phone call the possibility of conditioning U.S. support for Israel's offensive on concrete steps to safeguard aid workers and civilians. This communication followed an Israeli airstrike that resulted in the deaths of seven staff members of the aid group World Central Kitchen.

In the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, the aftermath includes scenes of rescuers and medics searching for dead bodies inside the damaged Al Shifa Hospital. The operation saw Israeli forces withdrawing from the hospital and its surrounding area after two weeks of intense conflict.

President Biden, in his interview, advocated for a ceasefire and urged Israel to allow total access to food and medicine for the next six to eight weeks.

Internationally, Israel's military assault on Gaza has garnered mounting criticism, while domestically, President Biden has faced protests from anti-war activists, Muslims, and Arab Americans. They demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and limitations on U.S. military aid to Israel.

Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people according to Israeli estimates. In retaliation, Israel's subsequent military action in Gaza has reportedly claimed over 33,000 lives according to the local health ministry, leading to accusations of genocide which Israel denies. Additionally, Gaza suffers from widespread hunger.

Despite receiving significant foreign aid from the United States since World War Two, Israel's annual assistance has been overshadowed by funding and military support to Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022. The United States, traditionally supportive of Israel in the U.N. Security Council, abstained from voting last month when the Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire