New Delhi: The United States issued its most forceful condemnation of Israel on Thursday since the onset of its conflict with Hamas, warning that US policy on Gaza will be shaped by whether Israel takes actions to protect the well-being of Palestinian civilians and humanitarian workers, news agency AFP reported.
As per the report, President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must promptly act to lessen harm and adversity for Palestinian civilians, according to the White House's statement of the less than 30-minute phone conversation between the two leaders.
President Biden also conveyed to Netanyahu that an instant ceasefire in the area was imperative and urged Israel "to finalise a deal without delay" with Hamas to return Israeli hostages, nearly six months after the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack.
The White House statement indicated a sharp shift in Biden's tone and, apparently for the first time, conditions attached to continued US backing.
By implying that a change in US policy toward Gaza was possible if Israel did not address the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, Biden channeled his own frustration along with escalating pressure from his left-leaning political supporters to halt the killings and relieve hunger among innocent people.
“Biden made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers," the White House said in its statement.
“The president also made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps," the statement added.
On Monday, Israel launched an attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza.
The White House has described Biden as “outraged and heartbroken” by the attack but, prior to Thursday's call, the president had made no fundamental change in Washington's steadfast support for Israel in its conflict with Palestinian Hamas militants.