US President Joe Biden had one of the “most difficult and frustrating” phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Online publication writes about this axios.
According to the publication, the White House is asking the Israeli government to restart the transfer to the budget of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) of funds collected in the form of taxes and fees on behalf of the Palestinian authorities before the attack on Israel. The country by the ruling Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
“This part of Saturday’s meeting between the two leaders was one of the most difficult and frustrating conversations Biden has had with Netanyahu since the beginning of the Gaza war,” American-Israeli journalist Barak Ravid said in an article, citing US administration officials.
According to the journalist, this is a sign of increasing tension between Biden and Netanyahu.
The article notes that under pressure from the United States, Israel agreed to resume transfers of funds, which make up the lion’s share of the PNA budget, but excluding debts to the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials refused to accept the money, and Netanyahu’s proposal to transfer the funds to Norway for temporary safekeeping until mechanisms could be developed to guarantee that Hamas would not use them resulted in a compromise.
Previously, Netanyahu rejected A request was made from Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF and Ministry of Defense executives to hold a meeting on the future of the Gaza Strip after the end of the conflicts in the Palestinian region. Israeli Prime Minister in the name “Deradicalization” of the entire Palestinian society as a condition for peace in the Gaza Strip. He has previously rejected international intervention in the demilitarization of Gaza.
Previously Netanyahu named Israel’s goals in the war against Hamas.