US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he was opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy in the Gaza Strip, which he called “a mistake”, urging the Israeli government to conclude a ceasefire agreement.

“I think what he is doing is wrong. I don’t agree with his approach,” the US president said during an interview with the Spanish-language television network Univision, in response to a question about how Israel’s military operations against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave are being conducted.

He made some of the harshest comments for the Israeli prime minister as impatience appears to be growing in Washington over the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, under Israeli siege for more than half a year.

He described as “outrageous” the fact that a convoy of the American NGO World Central Kitchen was targeted by Israeli airstrikes, killing seven of its workers, including an American-Canadian.

“What I’m asking is for the Israelis to declare a ceasefire” and “allow the next six or eight weeks full access to the food and medicine that goes” into the enclave, Mr. Biden said.

In a telephone conversation with Mr. Netanyahu last week, he hinted for the first time that he may put conditions on the granting of American aid to Israel if there are no “tangible” measures to deal with the humanitarian crisis.

The American president added that he is talking with “the whole world, with the Saudis, with the Jordanians, with the Egyptians” and they are “ready to go there”, they are “ready to deliver the food” that the civilians need.

“There is no excuse for not distributing medicine and food to the world that needs it. This must be done now,” he insisted.

The US has billions of dollars worth of military aid to Israel. Recently, however, the Israeli authorities have been demanding that more be done for humanitarian aid to reach civilians.

Although Washington praised the first measures announced by Israel, such as the “temporary” opening of crossing points to the Gaza Strip, especially Eretz (north), it added that it expects “results”.

Relatives of US-Israeli Hamas hostages in Gaza were received by US Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House, as indirect negotiations continue for a cease-fire declaration that would be accompanied by the release of hostages and in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

“We want results. We want our relatives back,” Rachel Goldberg, whose son is among the hostages, summed up speaking to the press.