Benjamin Netanyahu emphasizes US-Israel alliance, as US warns of change in policy

President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday toward a cease-fire deal that would release the remaining hostages in Gaza and suggested that U.S. policy on the war will depend on Israel’s ability to better protect civilians and humanitarian workers after an attack that killed a contingent of international aid workers this week.

Biden spoke with Netanyahu days after an Israeli strike killed seven humanitarian aid workers with World Central Kitchen, a charity group that was distributing food to Palestinians in Gaza. The president told Netanyahu the incident was “unacceptable.”

“He 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,” the White House said in a readout of the call. “He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

The White House said Biden “underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.”

The White House has for weeks been pressing for a cease-fire that would last at least six weeks and allow hostages to get out of Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the region. Officials had previously blamed Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, for holding up a potential deal.