Pressure mounts around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli actions in Gaza persist. Washington adds a new turn in its relationship with Tel Aviv as Netanyahu and President Joe Biden spoke for the first time in a month. The White House described the call as an opportunity to review the latest events in Israel and Gaza, including the situation in Rafah and efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. Biden urged Netanyahu to dispatch a U.S. delegation to Washington to prevent a major ground invasion in Rafah, and Netanyahu accepted. The conversation also included a mention that Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor, told Netanyahu for the first time since October 7 to halt the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu indicated that the two leaders discussed the war’s developments and Israel’s resolve to achieve its objectives: dismantling Hamas, releasing all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, while delivering essential humanitarian aid to support these goals. The Israeli prime minister did not detail how aid would be delivered. Biden reaffirmed support for Israel’s right to pursue Hamas, but emphasized the need for a coherent, sustainable strategy to ensure that outcome, according to Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, who spoke after the conversation.
Sullivan added that Israeli, Qatari, and Egyptian teams were meeting in Doha to seek a ceasefire. The call, the first since February 15, comes at a moment of heightened strain among the allies. In the preceding week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused Netanyahu of hindering peace in Gaza and called for elections to replace him. Netanyahu’s response to Schumer’s criticisms was mixed, while Biden expressed support for Netanyahu’s leadership and highlighted a shared concern felt by many Americans.
Concerns about Rafah remain central. The U.S. administration has resisted a full ground invasion of Rafah, the southern Gaza city sheltering about 1.4 million Palestinians and viewed as a red line for Democrats. Although Netanyahu reportedly approved a military action plan last week, the White House has not received it for review. Officials say other means exist to achieve the war’s objectives in Rafah, and Biden asked Netanyahu to send a high-level interagency team, including humanitarian and military intelligence officials, to Washington in the coming days to address American concerns and pursue the same goals without a sweeping ground assault. Netanyahu agreed. Sullivan concluded that there is a strong expectation that a major operation in Rafah will not proceed until that conversation has occurred.
Meanwhile, Trump has also spoken out. In a Fox News interview, he argued that none of these events would unfold if he were president and pressed for an end to the Gaza war to restore global stability. Netanyahu answered that the priority is ending the war swiftly and returning to a framework of lasting peace. The discussions also touched on finding a path to prevent further escalations and keep humanitarian corridors open to protect civilians.