section_path: Presidency (2021–2025)/Foreign policy/Gaza war
section_name: Gaza war
paragraph_text: Gaza war
  
  In October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that devolved into an intensified conflict, jeopardizing the administration's push to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Biden stated his unequivocal support for Israel and condemned the attack by Hamas. He deployed aircraft carriers in the region to deter others from joining the war, and called for an additional $14 billion in military aid to Israel. He later began pressuring Israel to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Biden rejected calls for a ceasefire but said he supported "humanitarian pauses" to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. He asked Israel to pause its invasion of Gaza for at least three days to allow for hostage negotiations; Israel agreed to daily four-hour pauses. He also directed the U.S. military to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Biden has said he is a Zionist. He has faced criticism for his unwavering support for Israel. Officials have urged him to take a harder stance against Israel, criticizing his administration's leniency and support despite the Israeli government's contentious offensive, which has led to significant civilian casualties and humanitarian crises.
  
  Following the killing of Palestinian civilians receiving food aid on February 29, 2024, Biden said the current level of aid flowing into Gaza was insufficient. On March 3, the U.S. military began airdropping food aid into Gaza. Several experts called the U.S. airdrops performative and said they would do little to alleviate the famine in Gaza.
  
  Biden continued to support Israel during the course of the war despite significant domestic opposition to American involvement in it and subsequent widespread protests. A March 2024 Gallup poll found that a strong majority of Americans disapproved of Israeli conduct during the war. Beginning in April 2024, widespread Gaza war protests emerged on university campuses, denouncing Biden.
  
  On May 31, 2024, Biden announced his support for an Israeli ceasefire proposal, saying that Hamas was "no longer capable" of another large-scale attack. The proposal, which would establish a permanent ceasefire, release all hostages, and reconstruct the Gaza Strip, was supported by Hamas officials after mediation by Egypt and Qatar. The Netanyahu administration responded that Israel's goals regarding "the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities" had not changed and that conditions would need to be met before it would agree to a ceasefire. In the first year of the war, it was estimated that the Biden administration had sent Israel at least $17.9 billion in military aid, a record. In about the same period, it sent Palestinians $1.2 billion in humanitarian aid. In the last week of Biden's presidency, Qatari officials announced that Hamas had accepted the ceasefire deal, with 33 hostages to be released pending Israeli approval. Biden hailed the deal, saying "it is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin" in a press release the same day.
  
  In October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that devolved into an intensified conflict, jeopardizing the administration's push to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Biden stated his unequivocal support for Israel and condemned the attack by Hamas. He deployed aircraft carriers in the region to deter others from joining the war, and called for an additional $14 billion in military aid to Israel. He later began pressuring Israel to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Biden rejected calls for a ceasefire but said he supported "humanitarian pauses" to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. He asked Israel to pause its invasion of Gaza for at least three days to allow for hostage negotiations; Israel agreed to daily four-hour pauses. He also directed the U.S. military to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Biden has said he is a Zionist. He has faced criticism for his unwavering support for Israel. Officials have urged him to take a harder stance against Israel, criticizing his administration's leniency and support despite the Israeli government's contentious offensive, which has led to significant civilian casualties and humanitarian crises.
  
  Following the killing of Palestinian civilians receiving food aid on February 29, 2024, Biden said the current level of aid flowing into Gaza was insufficient. On March 3, the U.S. military began airdropping food aid into Gaza. Several experts called the U.S. airdrops performative and said they would do little to alleviate the famine in Gaza.
  
  Biden continued to support Israel during the course of the war despite significant domestic opposition to American involvement in it and subsequent widespread protests. A March 2024 Gallup poll found that a strong majority of Americans disapproved of Israeli conduct during the war. Beginning in April 2024, widespread Gaza war protests emerged on university campuses, denouncing Biden.
  
  On May 31, 2024, Biden announced his support for an Israeli ceasefire proposal, saying that Hamas was "no longer capable" of another large-scale attack. The proposal, which would establish a permanent ceasefire, release all hostages, and reconstruct the Gaza Strip, was supported by Hamas officials after mediation by Egypt and Qatar. The Netanyahu administration responded that Israel's goals regarding "the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities" had not changed and that conditions would need to be met before it would agree to a ceasefire. In the first year of the war, it was estimated that the Biden administration had sent Israel at least $17.9 billion in military aid, a record. In about the same period, it sent Palestinians $1.2 billion in humanitarian aid. In the last week of Biden's presidency, Qatari officials announced that Hamas had accepted the ceasefire deal, with 33 hostages to be released pending Israeli approval. Biden hailed the deal, saying "it is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin" in a press release the same day.