White House under fire over Biden’s mixed messages on Israel

White House officials faced several questions on Wednesday about President Joe Biden‘s recent comments regarding Israel‘s military operations in Gaza.

On Tuesday, Biden told a group of Democratic donors at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government are losing international support as civilian casualties continue to stack.

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“Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now, it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting them,” Biden stated. “They’re starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place.”

However, on Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby struggled to square Biden’s comments, specifically using “indiscriminate” to describe Israel’s airstrikes, with the administration’s position that the Israeli government is doing everything it can to minimize civilian casualties, in accordance with international law.

“We have every expectation that Israel will do exactly what they say they’re doing, which is to continue to go after the terrorist leaders and to do so in a way that minimizes civilian harm,” Kirby stated.

However, reporters continued to press Kirby on the apparent disconnect between Biden’s comments and the U.S. government’s position, resulting in several heated exchanges.

“I take issue with the premise of that question, but the president speaks for American foreign policy,” he stated when a reporter suggested that Biden’s infrequent interactions with the press don’t allow him to clarify his own comments. “The president speaks and has spoken about our concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza and about urging our Israeli counterparts to be more careful and more deliberate.”

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“We’re not going to characterize every airstrike. We’re not going to speak for Israel’s military operations,” Kirby added in a second exchange. “The president was reflecting a concern that we have had for some time and will continue to have as this military operation proceeds about the need for reducing civilian harm and being as precise and careful and deliberate as possible.”

You can watch Wednesday’s briefing in full below.