President Joe Biden and other high-ranking US officials are reportedly growing frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continuous rejection of several recent requests related to the Gaza war. Despite publicly backing Israel since the October 7 Hamas attack, there are increasing signs of impatience behind the scenes, according to media reports.
US officials, speaking anonymously, have expressed dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's response to key requests, with one official stating, "The situation sucks and we are stuck. The President's patience is running out." Senator Chris Van Hollen, in close contact with US officials, mentioned that they feel slapped in the face by the Netanyahu coalition repeatedly.
Communication between Biden and Netanyahu has dwindled, with no conversation in the past 20 days since a tense December 23 call that ended abruptly. One source of tension was Netanyahu's refusal to release withheld Palestinian tax revenues.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby downplayed the communication decrease, stating it doesn't reflect on the overall relationship. However, signs of frustration are mounting, and US officials are concerned about Israel's reluctance to address key issues, such as facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza and discussing plans for the post-war period.
Biden and his advisers are dissatisfied with Israel's stance on the reformed Palestinian Authority's role in post-Hamas Gaza. Furthermore, there are growing concerns that Israel might not meet the January deadline for transitioning to low-intensity operations in Gaza, potentially impacting US support for Israel's military campaign if operations aren't scaled down as advised.
(With Agency Inputs)
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