Biden Says Netanyahu’s Offensive In Gaza Is ‘Hurting Israel More Than Helping’

The president stepped up his public criticism of the Israeli prime minister, while maintaining that he will still give unconditional support to the country.

President Joe Biden is stepping up his public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the right-wing leader’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” while maintaining that the U.S. will continue providing weapons to the country.

Speaking to MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart in an interview that aired Saturday, Biden repeated the White House’s position that Netanyahu has a “right to defend Israel, a right to continue to pursue Hamas” after the militants launched a deadly attack on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took about 250 hostage.

But six months later, Israel’s retaliation ― which human rights agencies and some nations have described as collective punishment and, more recently, genocide ― has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, wounded more, displaced millions, and deprived them of adequate food, water, shelter and medicine.

Aid organizations are raising the alarm over a starvation crisis in the enclave that has particularly hit north Gaza and killed dozens, including children. The Gaza Health Ministry said the total number of those dying from hunger included only people brought to hospitals, most of which have been destroyed in the bombardment.

“He must, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken,” Biden said of Netanyahu. “He’s hurting, in my view, he’s hurting Israel more than helping Israel by making the rest of the world ― it’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake.”