President Joe Biden on Friday said there were "no excuses" for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prohibit more humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
Biden made the comment while hosting a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. His remarks also came as the Associated Press (AP) reported the United States will soon begin air-dropping humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The exact timing of the plan was not announced, but AP said Biden expects it to begin in the "coming days."
"We're going to insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need, no excuses," Biden said during his meeting with Meloni.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Israeli government's press office via email on Friday for comment.
The Context
Israel's Gaza offensive has now killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, per figures reported by AP. The operation has precipitated a humanitarian crisis, with a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million people now facing starvation and 80 percent having fled their homes, according to the United Nations.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry on Thursday reported that at least 115 Palestinians were killed and more than 750 others were injured during an incident in which witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire as people attempted to retrieve goods from aid trucks.
What We Know
Biden has been under pressure from his own party regarding Gaza, as many potential Democratic voters support a ceasefire.
Thousands of voters in this week's Democratic primary in Michigan—the state with the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the U.S.—sent Biden a message by voting "uncommitted" rather than supporting him, though he still handily won state's election.
Views
Biden issued a statement in December, on the 100th day of captivity for hostages in Gaza, saying, "No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through, much less 100."
"On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my pledge to all the hostages and their families—we are with you. We will never stop working to bring Americans home," the president added.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen told Axios in January that Netanyahu "has given Biden the finger" over several aspects of the ongoing war, as Biden has attempted to call for cease-fires and the protection of civilians in Gaza.
"They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition but getting slapped in the face over and over again," Van Hollen told Axios.
What's Next?
"In the coming days, we're going to join with our friends in Jordan and others who are providing airdrops of additional food and supplies" and will "seek to open up other avenues, including possibly a marine corridor," Biden said, per AP.
During comments delivered in his meeting with Meloni, Biden said work is continuing between Israel and Hamas on a deal for hostages to be released by Hamas. Biden also called for an "immediate cease-fire" to allow more aid to flow into Gaza.
Update 03/01/24, 4:45 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include more background information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
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