Biden says Israel is complying with his demands on Gaza: President says 'I asked them to do what they're doing' after he threw down the gauntlet in phone call with Netanyahu

President Joe Biden on Friday brushed off questions about whether he had threatened to cut military to Israel after six foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were killed in an air strike in Gaza.

'I asked them to do what they're doing,' is all he would say after Israel agreed to reopen the main land crossing into northern Gaza after a Thursday phone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden demanded urgent steps to address the humanitarian crisis and to better protect aid workers. 

Afterwards, Israel announced it was reopening the main land crossing into northern Gaza. 

The catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave, where 33,000 people have died, took on a fresh dimension this week when three vehicles used by World Central Kitchen were hit by missiles.

President Joe Biden on Friday brushed off questions about whether he had threatened to cut military to Israel after seven foreign aid workers were killed in an air strike in Gaza

An American national was among the dead when vehicles used by World Central Kitchen were attacked in Gaza. The result has been increased concern in Washington about the crisis unfolding in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 33,000 people have been killed

The charity was founded by chef Jose Andres, a familiar face in Washington power circles, bringing a distant conflict right up to the doors of the White House.

Among the dead was Jacob Flickinger, 33, an American national.

The result was a ratcheting up of rhetoric by Biden, who almost alone among world leaders had stuck staunchly behind Netanyahu's deadly assault on Gaza even as a humanitarian crisis unfolded. 

On Thursday, he held a 30-minute phone call with his long-time friend to demand steps to better protect humanitarian workers and civilians. 

'He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel's immediate action on these steps, said a White House readout of their conversation. 

'He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.'

Netanyahu's office did not offer its version of the call. But in comments on the same day, the prime minister sounded defiant.

He spoke during a meeting with visiting Republican lawmakers to deliver a three-pronged message.

'The first is we're going to win. Absolutely. Victory is within reach. It's very close, and there is no substitute for victory,' he said, according to a readout of the meeting provided by his office. 

Israel on Thursday said it would reopen the Erez crossing into Gaza for aid deliveries

Dual American-Canadian citizen 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger (right) was among the seven killed in the IDF drone attack

President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Thursday to demand changes to the way Israel was fighting its war in Gaza. A readout of the call suggested U.S. policy could be altered

Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu met visiting Republican lawmakers in Jerusalem Thursday. 'Give us the tools faster and we'll finish the job faster,' he told them

Smoke rises over buildings after an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on April 4, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas

'The second is that it can be made quicker. 

'I'll paraphrase someone you all have heard of, Winston Churchill. He said, "Give us the tools and we'll do the job." Give us the tools faster and we'll finish the job faster.'

The conflict began when Hamas gunmen launched a terrorist attack on Israel, killing 1200 people.

The group is still believed to hold about 130 hostages.

CIA director Bill Burns will lead a delegation to Cairo this weekend for talks aimed at bringing about a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. 

U.S. officials also see a ceasefire as crucial to allowing in more aid and staving off famine warnings.

'Let's get a deal in place so that we can get a ceasefire for a matter of weeks in place, so that it's easier to meet those commitments on humanitarian assistance being increased,' White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.