President Joe Biden and the United States are influencing Israel to scale back its attack on Gaza, three senior Israeli officials told Bloomberg.
Biden visited Israel, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the Jewish state throughout its war against the terrorist organization Hamas. While the United States agrees Hamas’ military infrastructure needs to be wiped out, the U.S. is reportedly influencing how Israel will conduct its ground invasion, urging the country to limit the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, three anonymous senior Israeli officials told Bloomberg in a Thursday report. (RELATED: ‘All For A Political Agenda’: Vets Blast White House For Bragging About Biden’s Visits To War Zones)
“President Biden is focused on reducing the chance of this war spreading to another front,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Bloomberg. “This is his main goal.”
As Biden continues to affirm the United States’ support, the U.S. influence on Israel is “deeper and more intense” than ever, Bloomberg reported, citing the Israeli senior officials.
Biden and his officials are continuing to emphasize the importance of limiting casualties in Gaza, according to the outlet. The president is urging Israel to be cautious during its ground invasion and when responding to attacks from Hezbollah, an Iran-supported terrorist organization, Netanyahu’s former ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, told Bloomberg.
A digital billboard welcomes US President Joe Biden to Israel on October 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The United States is worried about the Israel-Hamas conflict escalating, with increased concerns about Hezbollah entering the fight, which would pull the U.S. further into the conflict, Bloomberg reported.
Biden gave an Oval Office address following his trip to Israel, announcing he would be requesting Congress to pass a budget package with funds for both Israel and Ukraine. Biden reemphasized during his speech that the United States will continue to give Israel what it needs to keep fighting its war against Hamas, including funding for the country’s missile defense system.
The president added he had urged Israel to follow the “laws of war.”
“Justice must be done,” Biden said. “But I caution that, while you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”