Israel strikes landmark residential tower in southern Rafah as truce talks stall
Mr Biden was recorded making the comment on Thursday night while on Capitol Hill for his State of the Union speech in what appeared to be a further sign of his frustration at dealing with Mr Netanyahu over the issue of Gaza.
“I told him, Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting,” Biden said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “I’m on a hot mic here. Good. That’s good.”Reporters asked Biden about the episode as he departed on Air Force One to Philadelphia. Palestinians inspect the area after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in Gaza. Photograph: Haitham Imad/EPA
Five months into Israel's unrelenting air and ground assault on Gaza, health authorities said nearly 31,000 Palestinians had been killed, more than 72,500 were wounded and thousands were trapped under rubble. She called for an end of hostilities to allow for meaningful aid distribution in Gaza, for Hamas to release all hostages without conditions and for Israel to treat Palestinians in its custody humanely and to permit them to contact their families.