President Biden discusses Israel’s plans for strike on Iran in retaliation for massive ballistic missile attack.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone Wednesday, the first conversation the two leaders have had in six weeks.
Biden and Netanyahu spoke for 50 minutes, with Vice President Kamala Harris joining in on the call.
According to a statement by the White House, the call focused on Iran’s October 1st ballistic missile attack on Israel, in which some 200 missiles were launched from Iranian territory – the second such attack by Iran since April.
The two leaders also discussed Israel’s plans to retaliate for the missile attack, amid reports Biden has grown increasingly frustrated over Jerusalem’s refusal to fully disclose its plans.
Biden has repeatedly called on Israel to avoid striking Iran’s nuclear facilities or oil assets, with Israel’s leadership declining to commit not to hit either target.
The White House said that during the telephone call, Biden “affirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security,” and “condemned unequivocally Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st.”
The president and the Israeli premier also discussed the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Biden emphasizing “the need for a diplomatic arrangement to safely return both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.”
Biden “affirmed Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut.”
Regarding the war in Gaza, Biden reiterated his call to renew diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, and also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while pushing Israel to “restore access to the north” of Gaza and to expand the aid corridor from Jordan across Israel.