In March, as Israel threatened to invade Rafah in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had been sheltering, President Joe Biden acknowledged that if Israel invaded the city, it would be crossing “a red line.”
It was Biden’s first public acknowledgement that any “red line,” limits, or conditions existed for U.S. support for Israel. In May, Biden followed up by halting the transfer of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel in an effort to limit civilian casualties in Rafah.
In July, however, the U.S. resumed shipments of 500-pound bombs. The following month, the Biden administration approved a $20 billion weapons sales deal to Israel for the coming years, which is currently being held up in Congress due to a resolution from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. In September, the Biden administration approved a separate $8.7 billion arms package.
The rhetoric coming out of the White House, when it has been focused on peace or restraint, rather than continuous war, has been undercut at every turn by its actions. The constant supply of weapons — $17.9 billion of bullets, bombs, shells, and other military aid in the past year — has allowed Israel to keep waging its war on Gaza, and in recent weeks, expand that war to Lebanon and threaten to escalate its conflict with Iran. Despite documentation of U.S. weapons being used in probable war crimes, and credible allegations that Israel is committing genocide in its war on Gaza, the bombs have continued to flow.
Yousef Munayyer, a political analyst who heads the Palestine/Israel Program at the Arab Center Washington D.C., called Biden’s approach to Israel “a no-restraints policy,” referring to comments made by White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, in the first month of the war, saying the U.S. has no red lines for Israel.
“And I think that has been the most consistent message from the White House,” Munayyer said. “It’s been received very clearly by the Israelis, there are no red lines, and it seems that every step the Israelis are taking where they push beyond what they’ve done before, whether it’s starting to target hospitals, and then obliterating them completely, doing the same with universities, aid workers, journalists — every line has been crossed because there has been no pushback whatsoever.”
For the past year, Biden and his administration have assured the public it is working to protect Palestinian civilians and, more recently, that it is working on a ceasefire deal. But the U.S.-led diplomacy and rhetorical censures have fallen short of addressing the catastrophic consequences on the ground.
Here is a year of what Biden and his administration officials have said, and what they have done.
October 2023
“Israel has to respond. They have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a bunch of cowards. They’re hiding behind the civilians. … The Israelis are gonna do everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians.”
– Biden in an October 15 interview with “60 Minutes” as Israel’s ground invasion into Gaza begins
That same day, Reuters reports that the initial wave of Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 2,383 people in Gaza.
“History has taught us when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going. And the cost and the threat to America and the world keep rising.”
– Biden in an October 19 speech delivered after his 30-hour visit to Israel
One day earlier, Biden’s administration vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid into Gaza. Over the following days, Israel continues to bomb Gaza, including refugee zones, killing many civilians.
“We’re not drawing red lines for Israel.”
– White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on an October 27 press briefing
November 2023
Photo: Saul Loeb/Pool Photo/AP
“I’ve seen images too of Palestinian children, young boys and girls, pulled from the wreckage of buildings. When I see that, when I look into their eyes through the TV screen, I see my own children — how can we not?”
– U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, just one week later on November 3, calling on Israel to enact “humanitarian pauses” to allow more aid into Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects U.S. calls for a temporary ceasefire that “doesn’t include a return of our hostages.” He vows Israel will keep fighting “with all of its power.” After one month of Israel’s incursion in Gaza, more than 10,000 people are dead and 70 percent of the territory’s residents displaced.
Toward the end of November, a weeklong ceasefire allows Hamas and Israel to swap some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
– Biden in a statement on April 8
On April 15, the International Criminal Court opens an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, focusing on the large number of civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure.
Despite mounting international pressure, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, causing further devastation and loss of life. The situation in the region remains dire as the conflict shows no signs of abating.
One of the main challenges in distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza is the lack of protection for aid workers by Israel, as stated by President Biden. The recent incident where seven aid workers were killed in a World Central Kitchen convoy highlights this issue. Israel’s actions, such as bombing the Iranian Embassy in Syria, have also raised concerns about civilian protection. Despite Biden’s call for a ceasefire, the violence continues, with more civilian casualties reported in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes. The situation remains dire, with ongoing attacks on refugee camps and a lack of policy changes from the Biden administration towards Israel. Photo by Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images
In July 2024, President Biden expressed determination to bring an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, stating that progress was being made towards a positive trend. However, on the same day, the U.S. announced plans to resume shipments of 500-pound bombs to Israel.
The following day, Israel conducted a devastating attack on the Al-Mawasi refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of at least 90 Palestinians. This attack drew international condemnation and calls for a war crimes investigation from the EU.
In August, the Biden administration approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including fighter jets and ammunition. Vice President Harris, while expressing concern for the suffering in Gaza, reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Critics within the Democratic Party raised concerns about Harris’s stance on the conflict, particularly her failure to acknowledge the role of Israel and the U.S. in the suffering of Palestinians. Despite hopes for a shift in policy under a potential Harris presidency, she avoided questions about potentially enacting an arms embargo on Israel.
In September, the death of Aysenur Eygi, a recent U.S. college graduate, sparked outrage and sadness. Eygi was killed in a bombing in Gaza, further highlighting the human cost of the ongoing conflict. She was a passionate activist who believed in peaceful protest and traveled to the West Bank to demonstrate against the expansion of settlements. The fatal shooting that took her life was completely unjustifiable.
Israel has taken responsibility for Aysenur’s death, attributing it to a tragic error resulting from an unnecessary escalation. This incident occurred on September 6 when an Israeli soldier shot and killed the American citizen during a protest near the village of Beita in the West Bank.
Eygi was observing a protest against an illegal Israeli settlement when she was shot in the head. It took five days for Biden to address the incident publicly, and there have been no further updates since then.
In response to a question about possible escalations in ongoing conflicts, Kirby stated on September 18 that all efforts were aimed at preventing conflicts from escalating further.
Israel’s actions on September 17 included detonating pagers in Lebanon, followed by bombings in Beirut and southern Lebanon. These attacks targeted Hezbollah members but resulted in numerous civilian casualties, sparking fears of a ground invasion.
White House officials Hochstein and McGurk reportedly encouraged Israel to expand its military operations into Lebanon, leading to further attacks and civilian casualties.
Despite calls for a ceasefire, Israel continued its offensive into Lebanon, resulting in more casualties and destruction.
In October 2024, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes that led to the deaths of healthcare workers in Lebanon.
Israel’s continued military actions in Lebanon and the West Bank resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including children, women, and families.
On the anniversary of October 7, Israel intensified its attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, causing further devastation and loss of life.
President Biden and Vice President Harris expressed sorrow over the ongoing violence and called for a ceasefire to end the suffering of innocent people in the region.
On October 7, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes in Lebanon, exacerbating the already dire situation.
10 Lebanese firefighters were killed by one strike, adding to the growing number of first responders in Lebanon who have lost their lives at the hands of Israel.
One year prior, Biden clearly expressed his support for Israel.
“My administrations support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”
– Biden shortly after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023
After a year of Israel’s continuous acts of violence, injury, starvation, and intimidation against the people of Gaza, escalating aggression towards Palestinians in the West Bank, and initiating a new conflict in Lebanon — with potential future actions against Iran — U.S. policy remains resolute.
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