Netanyahu Clashing With Biden Over Gaza’s Future

The Israeli prime minister’s public opposition to US foreign policy will not go down well in his own region or in the White House, write Tom Bennett in Jerusalem and Richard Hall in New York for The Independent.

International pressure has grown for a ceasefire, particularly from leaders of the Arab nations, and the Biden administration has called on Netanyahu to rein in his military operation and go after Hamas in a more controlled manner. I Photo: The White House

It is a sign of the pressure that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is under that he felt the need to force growing tensions with the US over the war in Gaza into the open.

By angrily pushing back against the US over its call for the establishment of a Palestinian state once Israel’s war on Hamas comes to an end – with a two-state solution being Washington’s long-standing foreign policy – Netanyahu risks undermining his staunchest ally.

But, as the death toll inside Gaza has continued to rise – with almost 25,000 people having died since the start of the conflict, according to health ministry officials in the Hamas-controlled territory – international pressure has grown for a ceasefire, particularly from leaders of the Arab nations, and the Biden administration has called on Netanyahu to rein in his military operation and go after Hamas in a more controlled manner in order to reduce civilian casualties.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem