In response to Biden's assertion that Israel's actions were detrimental, Netanyahu emphasized that his policies were aligned with the wishes of the majority of Israelis and were essential to combat terrorism.
"If he meant by that that I'm pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he's wrong on both counts," Netanyahu told Politico.
The exchange of remarks between the two leaders underscores the increasing tensions within their relationship, despite continued US support for Israel. The disagreement highlights the complexity of managing the conflict and the divergent perspectives on how to achieve peace in the region.
Earlier, Biden said that Netanyahu is harming Israel more than helping it, turning the whole world against the Jewish state.
"He [Netanyahu] has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue to pursue Hamas, but he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken," Biden said in an interview to the MSNBC broadcaster, adding that in his view, Netanyahu "is hurting Israel more than helping Israel by making the rest of the world" go against what Israel stands for, which is a "big mistake."
In the five months thus far of Israel’s war on Gaza, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been officially confirmed killed and more than 72,000 injured. More than half a million, or approximately a quarter of Gaza’s remaining population, are also at risk of famine due to the siege imposed by Israel that has blocked access to food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential supplies.