- The US President has said he disagrees with Israel’s approach to the war. It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his pledge to go forward with his invasion of Rafah
Joe Biden disagrees with Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and has called it a “mistake.”
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” the US president told Univision, a US Spanish-language TV network, in an interview filmed last Wednesday.
It’s not the first time Mr Biden has been critical of the Israeli prime minister, having previously called Israel’s military bombing campaign “indiscriminate” and its military operation “over the top.”
Last week, the White House said Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu future US support for the war dependent on steps it takes to prevent civilian harm. He also said during their phone call that an “immediate ceasefire” was needed to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country,” Mr Biden said in comments to Univision.
This is just as Israel’s Defence Ministry is purchasing 40,000 tents ahead of an evacuation of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Jerusalem Post reports.
News of the planned purchase of the tents, each of which can shelter 12 people, is one of the first signs of preparations for an evacuation of Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians have been sheltering.
There was no immediate confirmation from the defence ministry of the purchase.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly flagged plans to invade Rafah, the last remaining city in Gaza that has not faced a major ground assault.
The military says four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah as well as an unknown number of senior commanders of the group.
Prior to any assault, the military has said it will evacuate the civilian population to “humanitarian islands” in central Gaza, where food, water and medical facilities will be available.