Joe Biden has walked back comments he made recently about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a Time magazine interview published on Tuesday, the United States president was asked whether he thought Netanyahu was prolonging the war for political reasons. Biden replied that there is “every reason for people to draw that conclusion”.
The comments in the 28 May interview were made a few days before Biden detailed a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, and as the Israeli prime minister struggles with deep political divisions at home.
However, when questioned on this assertion at the White House later the same day, Biden appeared to walk back this claim, claiming that Netanyahu is “trying to work out this serious problem he has”.
What else did Biden say about the war?
In the Time interview, Biden also said that Israel’s leader had engaged in “inappropriate” conduct during the war sparked by Hamas’ 7 October attack.
While he is pushing for an end to the nearly eight-month war, the president said it was “uncertain” whether Israeli forces have committed war crimes in Gaza.
He rejected allegations that Israel is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare but said “I think they’ve engaged in activity that is inappropriate”.
Biden said he warned Israel not to make the same mistake the US did after the 11 September 2001 attacks that led to “endless wars”.
How has Israel responded to the comments?
When asked about the comments, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said it was “outside the diplomatic norms of every right-thinking country” for Biden to make such comments about Netanyahu.
Last month, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor in The Hague requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence chief, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged war crimes.
Israel has bombarded Gaza since Hamas’ 7 October attack in which more than 1,200 people were killed, according to the Israeli government.
More than 36,470 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The 7 October attack was a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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