The Spanish-language television network Univision aired an hour-long, pre-recorded interview on Tuesday in which U.S. President Joe Biden criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake,” Biden said. “I don’t agree with his approach.”
The U.S. president appeared to state a previously unarticulated public position in the interview with the channel’s Enrique Acevedo.
“So I what I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country,” Biden said.
“I’ve spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They’re prepared to move in,” he said. “They’re prepared to move this food in. And I think there’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now.”
The interview was recorded on April 3 in the afternoon, per pool reports at the time.
Last week, Biden demanded that Netanyahu improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, per a White House readout of their call on Thursday.
“President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” the readout stated. “He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.”
Later Thursday, reporters repeatedly asked John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor, if Biden had threatened Netanyahu.
Kirby declined to say what specific policy changes Washington would make if Israel failed to meet U.S. conditions. “If we don’t see changes from their side, there’ll have to be changes from our side,” he said.