White House downplays Biden, national security aide’s blunt comments on Israel

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is downplaying sharp criticism from President Joe Biden and a senior national security official over Israel’s war against Hamas. Biden on Thursday called Israel’s military operations in Gaza “over the top.” Biden has previously expressed concern about the mounting Palestinian civilian toll, but his direct criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been muted. The New York Times reported Friday it had obtained a recording in which the president’s deputy principal national security adviser, Jon Finer, expressed a “lack of confidence” in Netanyahu’s government. The White House says Biden and Finer were reflecting on the administration’s longstanding concerns about war’s impact on innocent Palestinians.