Israel losing support over Gaza bombings, says Biden

Joe Biden issued his harshest words yet on Israel's bombardment of Gaza yesterday, saying he had warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the indiscriminate bombing was beginning to alienate Europe and the rest of the international community.

- Ed Pilkington 

Speaking at a 2024 re-election campaign fundraiser in Washington, the US president also ramped up pressure on Israel over any posthostilities deal. He said the Israelis "can't say no" to a Palestinian state, and again urged Netanyahu not to repeat the mistakes made Invoking specifically the prolonged US war in Afghanistan, he said: "There's no reason we did so many of the things we did." While Israel could rely on the US for its security, Biden warned that the alliance of international support created after the 7 October attack by Hamas was now in peril.

Israel "has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting them, but they're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place", he added.

He labelled the Netanyahu government "the most conservative" in the country's history and went as far as to call on Israel's leader to "change singling out the this government", far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who opposes a future two-state solution.

"You cannot say no" to a Palestinian state, said Biden."That's going to be the hard part." His comments reflect growing divisions over what happens after the war. US calls for Gaza to be turned over to a reformed Palestinian Authority have received a cool reception in Israel.