Biden wraps up talks with Netanyahu on aid worker deaths

President Joe Biden, during the half-hour phone call Thursday, told the Israeli Prime Minister that strikes on humanitarian workers and overall humanitarian conditions in Gaza were unacceptable, according to a statement by the White House.

Who died? Seven World Central Kitchen aid workers perished in an alleged Israeli missile attack earlier this week, according to a statement by the group. The group said its personnel were traveling through what was supposed to be a conflict-free area when the incident occurred. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel will investigate the matter transparently.

What exactly did Biden say? He demanded that Benjamin Netanyahu set “specific, concrete, and measurable” steps to protect aid workers going forward. Biden also said the U.S. policy toward Israel’s actions could change based on Israel’s implementation of those protections, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. The White House expected Israel to quickly detail what steps it would implement soon, Kirby said.

What have leaders said about the aid worker deaths? Before the meeting and shortly after the incident, Netanyahu issued a statement saying his country deeply regretted the tragic incident. He added that it would seek to prevent incidents like this in the future. Biden earlier this week said in a statement that he was outraged and heartbroken by the deaths.

Dig deeper: Listen to Cal Thomas’ commentary on The World and Everything in It podcast about how Israel is fighting a war for its very survival in Gaza.