WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW) — Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s conduct of the Gaza war has been “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” U.S. President Joe Biden asserted in an interview on Saturday.
While Netanyahu “has a right to defend Israel, a right to continue to pursue Hamas…. he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken,” Biden said in an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart.
Asked if there were red lines, he responded, “You cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.” However, he said, as President, “I am never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical.” For example, he said, there would be no situation where he would want to deprive Israel of “all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”
In related developments,
–The Swedish government announced it is resuming its funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees upon assurances that extra checks on UNRWA’s spending and personnel will be instituted. Sweden’s conditions involved “controls, independent audits, to strengthen internal supervision and extra controls of personnel,” a Swedish government statement said. The aid had been paused following Israel’s accusations that some UNRWA employees had participated the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israeli civilians. Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of International Development, said Canada also will resume UNRWA funding “som more can be done to respond to the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians.”
–Thousands of Israelis demonstrated for the return of the hostages taken Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists. Nearby a separate group demonstrated against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Sixteen demonstrators were arrested on charges of trying to block a highway. There was also a smaller demonstration Saturday in front of the presidential residence of Isaac Herzog, and in Caesarea, a crowd gathered at Netanyahu’s private home, to denounce his policies.
–The IDF on Saturday said its forces killed dozens of Hamas fighters in the last 24 hours, among them 20 militiamen in Khan Younis. Hamas said that 82 Palestinians were killed in fighting over the same period and another 122 injured. Hamas also issued a statement that the economic damage to Gaza over the course of the war totals $30 billion.
–Britain’s Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron wants Europe to do as much as it can to quell hostilities in Gaza and Ukraine before the United States picks its next President, “so whoever is the victor in that contest can see that … we’re working in partnership [and] have moved those onto the best possible plane they can be.” He made that comment at a news conference in Berlin.
–Welsh singer Charlotte Church was among thousands of marchers in London supporting the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza. “I am here today to call for an immediate ceasefire, to ask our government and governments all over the world to send as strong message as we possibly can. But a strong, a peaceful, loving message, that’s what every single march that I’ve been on for Palestine has been about. … We’re all here because we cannot bear what we’re witnessing. We cannot bear to see civilians, children, women slaughter. And so we are here because our hearts are so full of love for the Palestinian people.” Last month, she joined in the chant, “From The River to the Sea,” which Jewish groups call code for wiping out Israel. Church has responded: “It is not that in any way, shape, or form. It is calling for the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians.”
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SDJW roundup of reports from its news sources