As Israel steps up its attacks in Rafah, US President Joe Biden said that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "hurting Israel more than helping it". Netanyahu's lack of attention to the innocent lives being lost was also pointed out by Biden.
In an MNSBC interview on Saturday, Biden said that Netanyahu "must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken”.
Over 1.1 million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah. With no truce deal before Ramadan, Israel is gearing up for the ground offensive in Rafah. According to Biden, it is a "red line" for him. However, Biden said that the US agrees with Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas militants.
The US warned Israel against a ground offensive into Rafah in a draft UN resolution. Amid the growing frustration with Netanyahu’s way of handling the war, the US is exploring ways to oust him from power, reported The Times of Israel.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 31,045 Palestinians have been killed since the October 7 Hamas attacks.
On Friday, Biden said that the deal between Israel and Hamas was looking "tough".
Meanwhile, the US had started operations to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to supply more aid to the enclave.
According to the army, a US military ship, General Frank S Besson, is sailing towards the Middle East, carrying equipment to build the pier.
Aid deliveries by land and air have proved difficult and dangerous. Recently, five people died after air-dropped aid failed to open.
The UN has warned that famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" and children are starving to death.
According to the Pentagon, it could take up to 60 days to build the pier.
