President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Israeli efforts to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza are still not enough.

His latest comments are part of the mounting White House criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coming as the Israel-Hamas war hits the six-month mark.

What You Need To Know

  • President Biden’s heightened criticism of Israel follows Israeli drone strikes that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen
  • Progressives like New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman are noting a change in Biden’s rhetoric, though they wish he would go further
  • Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, a prominent Democratic ally of Israel, warns that “any attempt to fundamentally undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship will only serve to benefit Hamas”
  • Republicans accuse Biden of playing politics as he faces mounting pressure ahead of November’s election from young progressives critical of his Israel policy

On Capitol Hill, progressives like New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman are noting a change in Biden’s rhetoric, though they wish he would go further.

“We are losing our moral authority on the global stage,” Bowman told Spectrum News NY1, invoking images of starving children and civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip. “If we don’t do something about this and hold Netanyahu accountable, it’s only going to get much worse for us and for Israel.”

Biden’s heightened criticism follows the Israeli drone strikes that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen nonprofit — an incident that has prompted new questions about U.S. military assistance to Israel.

On Tuesday, Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, told CNN that he was “waiting for assurances” ahead of a potential military equipment sale to Israel.

“I want to make sure that I know the types of weapons and what the weapons will be utilized for,” Meeks said.

During a call last week, Biden told Netanyahu that the future of U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza will depend on whether Israel takes concrete steps to address the suffering of civilians there.

The call prompted Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, a prominent Democratic ally of Israel, to warn that “any attempt to fundamentally undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship will only serve to benefit Hamas, which perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — a fact that the world seems to have forgotten.”

Across the aisle, Republicans accuse Biden of playing politics as he faces mounting pressure ahead of November’s election from young progressives critical of his Israel policy.

“This is a time where we need to stand strong. It’s not a time to negotiate with terrorists,” Nassau County Rep. Anthony D’Esposito said.

“War is unfortunately and sadly a chaotic and awful thing. But Israel has a right to defend itself,” Rep. Marc Molinaro told Spectrum News NY1 when asked if he is comfortable with Israel’s handling of the war, especially after the death of the aid workers.

Now that they are back from recess, Congress has a long to-do list that includes approving foreign aid, including for Ukraine and Israel. The path forward for such a push, though, remains unclear.