Biden losing patience with Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza: Report

WASHINGTON (AA) — US President Joe Biden is losing patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war on Gaza, Axios news website reported on Sunday.

Citing US officials with knowledge of the matter, Axios stated that Biden and other American officials are getting frustrated with Netanyahu and his refusal to comply with the administration’s requests concerning the conflict in Gaza.

“The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president’s patience is running out,” the Axios quoted one US official as saying.

The report also noted that Biden has not engaged in conversation with the Israeli prime minister for the past 20 days.

The last phone call between the two men, which occurred on Dec. 23, was described as “tense.”

“There is immense frustration,” another US official told the Axios.

The US has been demanding that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues, allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, reduce its operations in Gaza and agree to its plan for a reformed Palestinian Authority to have a role in post-Hamas Gaza.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who the Axios said has been in close contact with the American officials about the conflict, said, “At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger.”

“They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again,” the senator told the Axios.

Israel has killed at least 23,968 Palestinians, mostly women and children since October 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.