Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that his international campaign has had “considerable success” in maintaining support in the conflict with the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip and countering calls for a ceasefire. And as the number of victims rises, diplomatic tensions between the United States and Israel have intensified.
Netanyahu responded to statements by US President Joe Biden, who on Monday expressed concern about Israel’s “incredibly conservative government” and warned that he could lose international support if he continues with that political line, particularly due to the inclusion of figures such as the minister of National Security, the anti-Arab extremist Itamar Ben Gvir.
“Since the beginning of the war, I have been leading a diplomatic campaign to block pressure to prematurely end the war and ensure strong support for Israel. “We have had considerable success,” the official said in a statement, quoted by the Efe news agency.
The US president, in a television interview, expressed hope for a ceasefire by March 4, as the US, along with Qatar and Egypt, attempts to mediate the conflict. However, the differences between Netanyahu and Biden are evident, especially regarding the actions and policies adopted by the Israeli government, Efe noted.
Poll: 82% of Americans support Israel
The Israeli prime minister backed up his claims with results from a survey conducted by Harvard University, where 82% of Americans interviewed supported Israel over Hamas. In addition, 67% considered that there should not be a ceasefire until the terrorist group releases all the hostages and is removed from power in Gaza, and 62% supported a ground incursion by the Israeli Army in Rafah, where Gazans are concentrated. displaced in the middle of a humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, international mediators are seeking a ceasefire agreement before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, scheduled for March 10. But so far, signs of progress are few.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is heartbreaking, with shortages of drinking water, food, medicine and basic services, the news agency describes.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out an attack on Israel, launching rockets and infiltrating thousands of militants who killed more than 1,000 people, kidnapped hundreds and caused devastation.
The United States announced $53 million for Gaza and the West Bank
The United States government announced this Tuesday a disbursement of $53 million in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, through the Agency for International Development.
The administrator of USAID, Samantha Power, emphasized that a considerable part of these funds will be allocated to feeding programs, which will be managed by the World Food Program and various non-governmental organizations at the international level.
Power stressed, however, the importance of removing bureaucratic obstacles and reducing delays in inspections to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most. He also stressed the need to significantly increase the number of access points to Gaza to speed up the delivery of humanitarian assistance, Efe indicated.
The official called to protect humanitarian workers who are in the strip, urging that they be able to carry out their work without running the risk of being attacked or killed.
With this allocation of resources, the total aid sent by the United States to the Palestinian territories since the beginning of the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip amounts to $180 million.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the White House has asked Congress to approve a military aid package worth $14 billion for Israel. This project is stalled in Congress due to its connection to an additional $60 billion aid package for Ukraine.
The offensive in the Gaza Strip has left 30,000 people dead, mostly women and children, according to local authorities. Additionally, almost 2 million people, the majority of the region’s population, have been displaced from their homes due to the violence and destruction unleashed by the conflict.
Keep reading:
• Hamas receives proposal for a truce with a 40-day ceasefire in Gaza
• Biden says in New York that he hopes there will be a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday: “We are close”
• Prime Minister of Israel said that there will only be a truce in Gaza if Hamas abandons “its delusional ideas”