Biden says Netanyahu ‘hurting Israel’ with approach to Gaza war
US President Joe Biden has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in some of his most pointed criticism yet of the Israeli leader.
In an interview aired by MSNBC on Saturday, Biden said that while he supported Israel’s right to go after Hamas, Netanyahu should “pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken”. Addressing the mounting death toll in Gaza, Biden said that “it’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake”.
Biden also described a potential Israeli invasion of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are taking shelter, as “a red line”, although he said he would not “cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them”.
While Biden has firmly backed Israel in its war in Gaza, relations between the US president and his Israeli counterpart have become increasingly strained over the latter’s handling of issues including civilian casualties and humanitarian aid.
“The defense of Israel is still critical,” President Joe Biden tells Jonathan Capehart. “But there's red lines that if he crosses…cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.” pic.twitter.com/0SAPJySAYS
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 9, 2024
Sadly in all likely hood at least another 30,000 will die from famine, disease, malnutrition, wound complications, lack of healthcare. Plus there are still over 8,000 people missing that are known of, likely trapped underneath the rubble. You are already far far too late Biden, no need to wait until the massacre in Rafah starts. Which has already started with daily bombings. 100 dead per day is fine?
The missiles for the Iron Dome are not the same as the bombs dropped on Gaza nor the shells from tanks, navy and artillery. Nor bullets and guns. Nothing wrong with keeping the Iron Dome operational. Defensive weapons fine, offensive, cut them off asap.
PR stunt in progress
US military sends ship to build ‘temporary pier’ in Gaza
The US Central Command says a US army ship carrying supplies to build a “temporary pier” in Gaza has departed from the United States. The ship left “less than 36 hours after President Biden announced the US would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea”.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, has said air and sea deliveries will not make up for a shortage of supply routes on land.
On March 9, 2024, U.S. Army Vessel (USAV) General Frank S. Besson (LSV-1) from the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis en route to the Eastern Mediterranean less than 36 hours… pic.twitter.com/X70uttuY9J
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 10, 2024
The Chinese can probably build it in a week instead of months. However it won't make much difference without distribution on the ground
Major questions about sending aid by sea, former UN official
Ardi Imseis, a former UNRWA official, has questioned why the US is proposing sending humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea when Israel has six land crossings with Gaza it could use to deliver aid “at the scale needed”.
“As the occupying power, Israel has the sole obligation to provide humanitarian and relief supplies to the civilian population subject to its control in the Gaza Strip,” said the professor at Queens University, Canada. “It’s rather odd… that more pressure wouldn’t be brought to bear on Israel to provide sufficient humanitarian aid,” he said.
Imseis also said there were “major questions” about how aid would be distributed through the proposed maritime route. “Who is going to be on the other end to receive this aid?” he asked, adding that UNRWA – the embattled agency under attack by Israel – “is uniquely the only agency that is capable of logistically receiving and dispensing aid”.
Campaign group slams alleged Israeli torture of UNRWA staff
Gerald Staberock, the secretary general of the World Organisation Against Torture, has responded to allegations that Israel tortured some UNRWA staff and coerced them into making false confessions about the agency’s ties to Hamas. “Both torture and the use of any such information violates the UN Convention Against Torture,” Staberock said, in a post on social media.
Last week, UNRWA reported that “agency staff members have been subject to threats and coercion by the Israeli authorities while in detention, and pressured to make false statements against the agency”.
Canada and Sweden have since renewed funding for the UN agency, which is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli soldiers kneel on rubble next to destroyed UN vehicles at the UNRWA compound in Gaza City on February 8
Another bloody day as Israel attacks Nuseirat, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis
Here in Gaza, we’ve just witnessed another bloody day full of Israeli attacks in different areas of the Strip. Specifically, Israel has been targeting buildings full of evacuees and residents. The bloodiest was in Nuseirat refugee camp, with at least 13 killed.
We’ve been seeing very distressing images from the location. [An] entire house has been destroyed and there was extensive damage to the surrounding area. The vast majority of people killed were young children. One of the latest attacks targeted a house in Deir el-Balah. At least five were killed in that attack.
We also have reports of artillery shelling in Deir el-Balah and confrontations in eastern parts of Khan Younis as part of the ongoing military campaign. Initial reports indicate the Israeli military launched a barrage of air strikes on the Zeitoun neighbourhood and confrontations raging between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters there.
‘We were all civilians’: Survivor of deadly Nuseirat bombing
An elderly man who survived an Israeli attack on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp said all those in the building were women and children, except for him.
“To the Israelis, there is no safe zone all over the Gaza Strip. Not a single inch is safe. The Israelis are lying. We were told that from the Gaza Valley southwards is safe. We were forced to take shelter here. We are all civilians,” the man, who did not give his name, told Al Jazeera. “All those inside the house were women and children. I was the oldest and the only male among them. I repeat, all were women and children,” he said.
Some 21 displaced Palestinians were sheltering in the building. At least 13 of them were killed.
Embracing Ramadan in Rafah – Destroyed mosque turned into prayer space
Officials say more than 1000 mosques in Gaza have been destroyed since October 7. Despite the destruction, Palestinian Muslims are continuing to congregate, and practice their faith, as usual.
At al-Faruq mosque in Rafah, built in 1952 and destroyed in an Israeli raid last month, prayers continue in the rubble.
