Biden and Netanyahu scheduled to talk on Thursday

President Joe Biden is scheduled to have a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. This comes three days after Israel carried out an attack that resulted in the tragic deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, according to a U.S. official.

While the White House has expressed Biden’s outrage and sadness over the attack, there have been no major changes in the U.S.’s unwavering support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.

It is expected that during the conversation, Biden will address the importance of providing better protection for humanitarian workers and increasing food shipments to Gaza.

Celebrity chef Jose Andres, emotionally shared with Reuters in an interview on Wednesday, that the Israeli military attack had targeted his food aid workers in Gaza in a systematic manner, taking their lives one by one.

Due to concerns about the slow delivery of aid by land, the U.S. has resorted to airdrops and is constructing a temporary pier for sea shipments.

A virtual meeting between U.S. and Israeli representatives took place on Monday to discuss Israel’s threat of a large-scale offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where many Palestinians have sought refuge from the conflict.

Further discussions between the U.S. and Israel are planned for an upcoming in-person meeting next week.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby mentioned to reporters that while the in-person meeting may not lead to definitive conclusions, Washington aims to make progress on removing Hamas terrorists from Rafah without causing harm to civilians.

Negotiations are ongoing with the goal of reaching a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas being urged to release sick, elderly, and wounded hostages taken during an assault on Israel on Oct. 7 that resulted in 1,200 fatalities.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reiterated on Wednesday that his group is sticking to its conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, including a full Israeli military withdrawal.

According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden is eager to see a prompt investigation into the Israeli airstrike on the food aid convoy.