- Details of the call lasting less than 30 minutes between Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden are emerging this evening.
- The two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and the strike that killed aid workers earlier this week, which Mr Biden called “unacceptable”
The White House has released a readout of this evening’s phone call between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the White House, the U.S. President “made clear the need” for Israel to implement “concrete” steps to address civilian harm and the safety of humanitarian workers.
He also told the Israeli Prime Minister that the U.S. support for Israel’s conflict in Gaza was dependent on that.
Mr Biden said during the roughly 30-minute conversation that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was “unacceptable,” according to the White House.
He also said an “immediate ceasefire” was “essential” to “stabilise and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians”, they said in their readout of the conversation.
Strike on aid workers ‘unacceptable’
On the protection of humanitarian staff, following the deaths of seven aid workers in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, the White House said: “President Biden emphasised that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable.
“He 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.
“He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”
