Biden admin carefully ramps up criticism of Israel over the Gaza war but stops short of cutting off military aid
The Biden administration has airdropped aid to Gaza, welcomed Netanyahu’s rival to the White House and very carefully sharpened criticism of Israel’s offensive in Gaza. But it remains reluctant to cut off military aid.
President Joe Biden is trying to ramp up political pressure on Israel’s government to allow in more humanitarian aid and rein in its offensive in the Gaza Strip but has stopped short of cutting off weapons deliveries to America’s main ally in the Middle East, current and former officials say.
Reluctant to enter into a full-blown confrontation with Israel, the Biden administration instead has airdropped humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians and held talks in Washington with a political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz. It has also stepped up public criticism of Israel’s tactics in Gaza — though, as NBC News has reported, apparently not as much as Vice President Kamala Harris would like.
Dismayed at the plight of Palestinian civilians and with no letup in the Israeli campaign, the White House National Security Council asked the Pentagon in recent weeks for possible options to get more aid into Gaza by air, land and sea, two administration officials told NBC News.
Based on the Pentagon’s advice, the president opted for airdrops of aid, and U.S. aircraft over the weekend began dropping pallets of food and other supplies on parachutes just off Gaza’s coast. On Tuesday, three U.S. Air Force planes dropped 60 bundles with 36,000 meals, accompanied by four Royal Jordanian Air Force planes that dropped additional supplies, a U.S. official said, and more deliveries are expected.
The administration’s “soft power” approach emphasizing humanitarian relief is shaped by both the domestic political pressure Biden is under at home to help stop the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as well as a pragmatic belief that focusing on aid is the president’s best option while delicate negotiations continue to secure a six-week cease-fire deal, current and former officials said.
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