When Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that he had a ‘good’ talk with American president Joe Biden on Thursday, he was hiding a bombshell. It soon emerged that Biden’s words to Netanyahu were harsh and uncompromising. Biden demanded that Israel addresse the humanitarian situation in Gaza immediately, that it takes concrete steps to protect civilians and aid workers and that it reaches a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
This was an ultimatum. Biden threatened to reassess American policy towards the war in Gaza if Netanyahu does not comply immediately. In other words, he refused to guarantee that the strong support he has given Israel since the war started in October will continue.
Although Israel has been dragging its feet, Hamas is the major obstacle to a deal being struck
This is a major blow to Netanyahu. He has so far defied many American requests. He rejected Biden’s plan for a Fatah/Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza to replace Hamas.
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