American anger following the killing of two foreign workers in Gaza…and an expected call between Biden and Netanyahu
American officials who spoke to the Axios news website on Thursday expected that the first phone call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be “tinged with tension,” given Biden’s anger over the killing of aid workers from the World Central Kitchen organisation. Relief services in an Israeli raid in Gaza this week.
One of these officials told Axios that Biden feels very angry and upset with Netanyahu, while another confirmed that the level of distress in the White House is very high. Axios also quoted American and Israeli officials as emphasizing grave concern that the attack on the relief convoy would overthrow the initial progress achieved in improving the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and alleviating the severity of the humanitarian crisis.
The issue of the killing of seven foreign aid workers in Gaza is reacting, as an American official reported that President Joe Biden will hold a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, Thursday.
The call comes after Biden expressed his anger over the killing of activists from the US-based World Central Kitchen organisation, saying that Israel must do more to protect aid workers and civilians.
An informed American official confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that “President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a conversation tomorrow.”
On Tuesday, Netanyahu admitted that the Israeli army “unintentionally” killed seven aid workers in an air strike on the Gaza Strip. The victims included an American-Canadian citizen, along with three Britons, a Polish woman, and an Australian woman.
Biden strongly criticised Israel for the air strike that resulted in the deaths of World Central Kitchen activists, expressing his feeling of “anger and sadness.”
The White House acknowledged Biden’s growing sense of frustration as a result of Israel’s failure to protect aid workers and civilians, despite repeated appeals to Netanyahu.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, “I think you can see the frustration in that statement” made by Biden.
However, the White House stressed that Biden continues to support “Israel’s right to defend itself,” ruling out plans to limit the delivery of weapons to the main ally of the United States.
The relationship between Biden and the hard-right leader Netanyahu has become more tense.
Biden last spoke to Netanyahu on March 18, when the US president urged the Israeli leader not to launch a ground attack on the southern city of Rafah.
An Israeli delegation is scheduled to visit Washington next week to discuss the Rafah issue.
Netanyahu had cancelled the visit earlier in protest against the United States’ abstention from voting on a UN Security Council resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza, but he later relented.
Increasing American anger
In this context, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said today, Thursday, that he spoke today with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, and that he expressed his “anger” at the killing of 7 employees of the World Central Kitchen relief organisation in an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip.
Austin indicated that he stressed to his Israeli counterpart the need to take strong steps to protect Palestinian aid workers and civilians after he described it as a “failure in coordination processes.”
Austin noted that he called on Gallant to ensure a prompt and transparent investigation, share the results publicly, and hold those responsible accountable. The American minister said that the attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy makes it more difficult to supply the region with humanitarian aid.
He added that he called on Gallant for the need for Israel to provide new protection measures and security guarantees for humanitarian workers. He continued, “I made clear the need to see an increase in aid coming through all crossings in the coming days, especially to areas of northern Gaza that are at risk of famine.”
A strike targeted their convoy
It is noteworthy that 7 collaborators with the American non-governmental organisation “World Central Kitchen” were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their convoy in the Gaza Strip.
According to the organisation, the dead were 3 Britons, an American-Canadian, a Polish, an Australian, and a Palestinian. Following the raid, World Central Kitchen announced the cessation of its operations in Gaza.
