In a recent interview with Univision, President Joe Biden expressed his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. While Biden's remarks highlight his increasing willingness to publicly criticize Netanyahu, they did not indicate any significant changes in the United States' policy towards its Middle East ally.

Biden stated that he believed Netanyahu's actions were a mistake and that he disagreed with his approach to the conflict. The President's comments come amidst mounting criticism from progressives regarding Israel's handling of the war in Gaza. Last month, Biden commended Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his speech criticizing Netanyahu and calling for new elections in Israel. Schumer argued that Netanyahu prioritized his political survival over the best interests of the country.

Criticism has also been directed at Biden himself for not backing up his comments with conditions on selling U.S. arms to Israel. It was reported last month that the U.S. decided to send more weapons to Israel. In response, over three dozen Democrats in Congress, including Nancy Pelosi, signed a letter urging Biden to withhold arms transfers if Israel does not take sufficient measures to mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza.

During the Univision interview, Biden called for a ceasefire and emphasized the need for unhindered access to food and medicine in Gaza. He highlighted discussions he had with regional leaders, such as those from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, who expressed their readiness to provide support. Biden stressed that there should be no excuse for failing to meet the medical and food needs of the affected population and urged immediate action.

Biden's criticism of Netanyahu intensified after an Israeli airstrike on April 1, which resulted in the death of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers. Prior to the attack, Biden had voiced concerns about Israel's insufficient protection of aid workers delivering assistance to civilians in need.

The President initially emphasized his unwavering support for Israel in the early days after the Hamas attack on October 7. However, he has faced disruptions from anti-war and pro-Palestinian protesters during his speeches. Additionally, a campaign encouraging voters to cast protest ballots for "uncommitted" in the Democratic primaries has presented a challenge for Biden.

Meanwhile, families of U.S. hostages met with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the White House's efforts to bring the hostages home. Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, revealed that there is a deal on the table that all parties are willing to work with, pending Hamas' agreement.

Netanyahu has signaled Israel's intention to launch an offensive on Rafah, a move that the U.S. opposes. The White House has consistently maintained that a major ground operation in Rafah would be a mistake, expressing "deep concerns" about such an offensive during a conversation between Biden and Netanyahu in the previous month, according to the White House spokesperson.

While President Biden continues to criticize Netanyahu's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, there have been no significant indications of changes in the U.S. policy towards Israel as of yet.