The Biden-Netanyahu rift: A tactical dispute over how to eliminate Hamas in Gaza

Written by Elijah J. Magnier

Will US President Joe Biden give in to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands and provide Israel with the weapons and precision munitions it wants as a surplus to its stockpiles if the Gaza conflict drags on or escalates to the northern border with Lebanon? Despite the heightened tensions between Biden and Netanyahu, they agree on the goals of crippling Hamas’s control over Gaza and ensuring that Hezbollah does not retain significant power on the Lebanese border. But they differ on how to neutralise Hamas, especially when Israel shows little concern for the high casualties of the Palestinian civilians. This stance has caused a public rift within Biden’s core Democratic base, most of whom want the conflict to end as the President prepares for the next election.

The US has opened its strategic depots in the Negev desert to support Israel’s military efforts, undermining Netanyahu’s claims that Israel is ‘defending itself by itself’. The Gaza conflict exposed Israel’s dependence on American support for any conflict lasting more than a month. Over the past seven months, more than 100 arms shipments, including tens of thousands of munitions, have entered Israel by air and sea. The Israeli military command has confirmed that it has used more than four times the expected amount of ammunition, hitting hundreds of targets every day. The US and Germany have supplied air defence systems, dumb and smart ammunition, artillery shells, Hellfire missiles and tank launchers. The US has also sent Delta Force units, aircraft carriers and fighter jets to support Israel, strengthening its capabilities and reinforcing its weaknesses, giving Israel a sense of overconfidence.

The US gives Israel $3.8 billion yearly in military aid. Last month, Biden added $15 billion more, underscoring America’s unwavering commitment to its ally despite growing controversy over managing the conflict.