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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to speak by phone Thursday, according to a U.S. official familiar with the call.
It will be the first direct communication since an Israeli military offensive in Gaza this week left seven aid workers dead.
The discussion came after Biden issued his strongest criticism of Israel on Tuesday since the start of the war with Hamas, saying humanitarian workers at World Central Kitchen were killed by Israelis. He said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by what had happened. Monday’s airstrike.
“Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers who are trying to deliver desperately needed aid to civilians,” Biden said in a statement Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in X on Tuesday that Israel “deeply regrets” the worker’s death, adding that the country “is fully committed to ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in the Gaza Strip and that such a tragedy is certain.” We will do our best to prevent this from happening again.” It won’t happen in the future. ”
Biden and Netanyahu last spoke on March 18.
During the call, the White House said Biden warned Israeli leaders against carrying out a planned military operation in Rafah and invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send a senior interagency team to Washington.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a high-profile delegation’s visit to Washington, but it could be rescheduled in the coming days. A version of the meeting was held virtually on Monday.
Separately on Wednesday, Israeli war minister Benny Gantz called for early elections in September.
The Israeli government announced that the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Approximately 240 Israelis were also kidnapped, and Israel announced that more than 100 people are still being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
More than 32,900 people have died in Gaza since the outbreak of the war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Monica Alba reported from Washington and Zoe Richards from New York.
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