Biden and Netanyahu to speak for first time since aid worker deaths

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to speak by phone on Thursday, according to a report by Reuters citing an anonymous U.S. official. It will be the first time the two leaders have spoken to each other since an airstrike by the Israeli military on Monday killed seven aid workers in Gaza. The nonprofit World Central Kitchen says the airstrike took place despite coordinated movements between its aid workers and the Israeli Defense Forces. The organization also says the aid workers were traveling in an area that was supposed to be free from conflict.

How did the two leaders respond to the incident? In a statement on Tuesday, Biden said he was both outraged and heartbroken by the deaths. He added that this was not an isolated incident, citing additional aid workers who had been killed since Israel's ground operation in Gaza began. He called on Israel to do more to protect humanitarian workers as well as other civilians. Biden also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, as well as the release of all Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.  Netanyahu said Israel deeply regretted the incident and promised a swift and transparent investigation into the strike.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report in The Sift on the deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers.