cnn
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An Israeli strike in Gaza killed seven aid workers from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, sparking outrage and outrage inside the White House, prompting President Joe Biden on Tuesday to use the term in a public statement. Had to issue, which he rarely used during this period. Of the conflict that is full of endless tragedy: “Angry.”
The deaths of workers trying to deliver food to hungry civilians in the besieged area – including an American-Canadian citizen – have brought a new level of frustration for Biden and his top officials, a senior administration official told CNN. But it has been increased.
Biden’s statement Tuesday evening expressing condolences over the deaths of the seven workers included some of the president’s most fiery and blunt language since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. He implicitly blamed Israel for failing to protect aid workers and civilians, and he said, “Incidents like yesterday should absolutely not happen.”
As far as the Biden White House is concerned, the strike by World Central Kitchen workers has been an “extraordinary event,” the official said, adding grave concern and concern at an already high-tension moment between the US and Israel. Has gone. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to speak on Thursday, according to a US official.
But the administration on Wednesday reiterated its support for Israel’s war against Hamas and warned that they were not doing enough to protect civilians in the Palestinian territory.
“Certainly, we would like to see them doing things differently to prevent civilian casualties. Absolutely. And this is an ongoing conversation we’ve been having with them for several months,” said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. “In terms of being more precise, being more targeted, being more alert.”
He continued: “We have continued to talk to them about how to do things differently, how to do things more efficiently, how to do things more safely and of course how to How to do this in a way that minimizes damage to civilian infrastructure.” And of course, live a civic life.”
The president discussed the workers’ deaths with a small group of Muslim community leaders at the White House on Tuesday, according to one of the attendees. Some of the participants were doctors who have spent time in Gaza and witnessed firsthand the plight of Palestinian civilians there. One of them walked out of the meeting early in protest, CNN reports.
Salima Suswell, founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, said, “The president expressed that this is a very difficult situation and that he would like to see an end to this war.” “The conversation was difficult at some moments.”
Asked about Biden’s statement blaming Israel for failing to protect civilians and aid workers, a senior adviser to the president told CNN: “That’s what he meant to say.”
Israel has said it will investigate why Israeli airstrikes on aid workers’ vehicles occurred, and Biden called for the investigation to be “swift” and “bringing accountability.”
Pressed by CNN on whether the White House still supports how Israel is running the war, given the deaths of aid workers and Biden’s outrage, Kirby said the administration has been clear and public about its objections. Yes, but will not go to the extent of retreating. Its support.
“I want to make it clear that when we raise the issue about aspects of how the operations are being conducted, especially like saying, quite frankly, publicly, we are talking about the ground operation in Rafah. Do not support. We also recognize and continue to act on the belief that Israel has the right to defend itself against the still viable threat posed by Hamas,” Kirby said.
