"Israel must operate by the laws of war": US President Biden conveys to Netanyahu

WASHINGTON DC: In a discussion with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden conveyed to the Jewish leader that "Israel must operate by the laws of war" in its war against Hamas.

He called for a two-state solution in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, adding that Israel has the right to defend itself as well and at the same time, the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace cannot be ignored.

"Israel has the right to defend itself. We must make sure they have what they need to protect their people today and always. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have discussed how Israel must operate by the laws of war. That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can," Biden wrote in a post on social media platform X.

"We can't ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace. That's why I secured an agreement for the first shipment of humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza," Biden said, adding "And we cannot give up on a two-state solution."

US President Joe Biden has recently requested over USD 105 billion from Congress as part of a package to provide security assistance for the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as reported by CNN.

Biden made his request a primetime Oval Office address to the nation and called the moment "an inflection point" in American history.

The request will help mitigate "the global humanitarian impacts of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and of Hamas' horrific attacks on Israel, including by extending humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza," he said.

In response to Biden's request, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the package and said he would move quickly to pass it.

"This legislation is too important to wait for the House to settle their chaos. Senate Democrats will move expeditiously on this request, and we hope that our Republican colleagues across the aisle will join us to pass this much-needed funding," he said.

In Tel Aviv also, earlier this week, Biden pledged unwavering support to Israel but also successfully made the case to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.