US President Joe Biden on Friday did not deny that he threatened to stop military aid to Israel, though he would not confirm that either.
A reporter asked Biden if he had threatened to stop the aid to Israel, to which the President would only reply: “I asked them to do what they’re doing.”
The comments come a day after Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call, during which, according to the White House, the President “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.”
US officials later told NBC News that Biden warned Netanyahu during the call that the US could condition military aid to Israel on what it does to address humanitarian concerns in Gaza and get to a ceasefire as soon as possible.
Hours after the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu, the Political-Security Cabinet approved an increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, including permitting the temporary delivery of humanitarian aid through Ashdod and the Erez Crossing and the increase of Jordanian aid through Kerem Shalom.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)