JERUSALEM – Criticism of President Joe Biden by a far-right Israeli government minister who said Donald Trump would allow more freedom to fight Hamas sparked outrage there on Sunday, highlighting the sensitivity of relations as Washington provides key support for the offensive against militants in Gaza.
The Biden administration has bypassed Congress to send weapons to Israel and shielded it from international calls for a ceasefire in the four months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.
But the White House has urged Israel to take greater steps to avoid harming civilians and facilitate the delivery of more aid to besieged Gaza.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Israel again this week in his latest trip to the region.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that Biden was hindering Israel’s war effort.
“Instead of giving us his full support, Biden is busy giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said. “If Trump were in power, America’s behavior would be completely different.”
His comments drew criticism from Benny Gantz, a retired general and member of Netanyahu’s three-man War Cabinet, who said Ben-Gvir was “causing tremendous damage” to US-Israel relations.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed in an interview that President Biden is hindering Israel’s war effort against Hamas. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who also posted on X, said Ben-Gvir’s comments prove that he “does not understand foreign relations.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Ben-Gvir’s comments as “racist” and called for international sanctions against him, saying he threatens the stability of the region.
Netanyahu, without mentioning Ben-Gvir by name, appeared to refer to his comments when addressing a weekly Cabinet meeting.
The prime minister thanked Biden for his support and highlighted his own experience dealing with multiple US administrations’ approaches to Israel’s most important alliance.
Ben-Gvir said the conduct of the United States would be “completely different” if former President Donald Trump were in office. Images by Kyle Mazza/SOPA via ZUMA Press Wire
“There are those who say ‘no’ to everything, receiving applause at home, but they are also putting vital interests at risk,” he said.
Ben-Gvir, along with other far-right figures, has called for a “voluntary” mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and the return of Jewish settlements, which Israel dismantled when it withdrew troops from the territory in 2005. The Biden administration opposes any such scenario.
Ben-Gvir and other key members of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have threatened to overthrow the government if they believe it is too soft on Hamas.
Smoke rises after an Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip on February 4, 2024. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
Netanyahu told the Cabinet that the army was carrying out “very aggressive raids” in northern and central Gaza while dealing with remaining Hamas battalions around the city of Rafah in far southern Gaza.
The war in Gaza has devastated vast areas of the small enclave, displacing 85% of its population and pushing a quarter of residents into famine.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 127 bodies had been taken to hospitals in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 27,365.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says most of the dead were women and children.
Israeli soldiers driving a tank near the Gaza Strip border on February 4, 2024. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
In central Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit a home and a mosque in Deir al-Balah, killing 15 people and wounding at least 45 others, including children, according to an Associated Press journalist at the scene.
At the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, a man cried next to a corpse covered in blankets.
Other Palestinians found refuge in the hospital but little relief. “Someone like me has been here for three months or two and a half months and I haven’t showered. What can we do? We want to return to our home,” said Basemah Al-Haddad, who was displaced from Gaza City.
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Two children were killed in separate airstrikes in Rafah, according to the registry office of the hospital where the bodies were taken.
The first hit a house in the Jeneina refugee camp and killed a 12-year-old boy. The second hit a room west of the Rafah border crossing, killing a two-year-old boy.
The bodies lay on the floor of the hospital. A relative leaned over to gently touch a child’s face.
More aid to Gaza will be a “top priority” when Blinken visits the region, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS.
Palestinians watch a car burn after being hit during an Israeli bombing raid in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Feb. 4, 2024. AP Photo/Hatem Al
Blinken will begin his visit on Monday in Saudi Arabia and will also stop in Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank.
Another focus is Israel’s tense negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt aimed at freeing more than 100 remaining captives taken in the October 7 Hamas attack in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinians. imprisoned in Israel.
“It is up to Hamas to step forward and respond to what is a serious proposal,” Sullivan told NBC, adding that there is no clear idea of how many of the hostages are still alive.
Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and kidnapped about 250.
More than 100 captives, mostly women and children, were freed during a week-long ceasefire in November in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Hamas has said it will not release any more hostages until Israel ends its offensive. He also demands the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has publicly dismissed both demands.
Hamas is expected to respond to the latest ceasefire offer in the coming days.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn