Biden officials refrained from exerting pressure on Israel for Gaza ceasefire: Report
A recent investigative report has revealed that senior officials in the administration of former US President Joe Biden refrained from pressuring the Israeli regime to agree to a ceasefire during Tel Aviv’s overwhelmingly deadly and devastating war of genocide on the Gaza Strip.
The report by the regime’s Channel 13 included admissions from nine top US officials, who acknowledged their avoidance of exerting real pressure on Tel Aviv, even as the Palestinian death toll surpassed 30,000 — now around 52,000 as the war rages on.
Former Israeli ambassador to Washington Michael Herzog praised the Biden administration’s approach, saying “God” did the regime “a favor that Biden was the president during this period…”
“We fought [in Gaza] for over a year and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted.”
US officials defend unwavering support amid mounting casualties
Despite the escalating humanitarian crisis, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan and former ambassador to Tel Aviv Tom Nides tried to defend the administration’s steadfast support for the regime.
A senior US aide, however, described the genocide as “killing and destroying for the sake of killing and destroying,” referring to the purely indiscriminate nature of the warfare, most of whose casualties have been women and children.
Observers, meanwhile, note that the Biden administration’s reluctance to pressure the regime aligns with its broader policy of providing substantial military support for it, which increased significantly throughout the war.
In January, reports emerged of an $8-billion arms deal proposed by the outgoing administration to supply the regime with munitions for warplanes, attack helicopters, artillery shells, and other weaponry.
In all, the administration provided Tel Aviv with at least $17.9 billion in military aid during its brutal military onslaught, which began on October 7, 2023.
The approach has faced criticism both internationally and domestically.
Human rights organizations have condemned the lack of US intervention, citing the extensive civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza.
Israeli officials strategized for prolonged assault
The Channel 13 investigation also revealed that Israeli officials deliberately extended the war, anticipating a more favorable stance from the incoming administration of Donald Trump.
By avoiding a ceasefire, they aimed to capitalize on the political transition in Washington as a means of, what experts call, further entrenching the genocidal campaign’s duration and severity.
