John Kirby says White House is 'increasingly frustrated' with Israel's offensive in Gaza

National security spokesman John Kirby said the White House is growing 'increasingly frustrated' with Israel's actions in Gaza. 

During an appearance on ABC's This Week on Sunday, co-anchor Martha Raddatz noted how President Biden and his Cabinet officials seem to have grown increasingly frustrated with Israel's bloody offensive to eradicate Hamas. 

'I'm glad you brought that timeline up because it shows the degree… the growing degree of frustration that we've had with the way these operations are being prosecuted and the way that Israelis are acting on the ground in terms of civilian casualties,' Kirby told Raddatz. 

'So we have been increasingly frustrated. And again, that was a core message that the President delivered to Prime Minister Netanyahu in their phone call this… past week… that they've got to do more, they've got to make changes,' he continued.

National security spokesman John Kirby said the White House is growing 'increasingly frustrated' with Israel 's actions in Gaza

Biden faced a revolt from progressives who say he is too supportive of Israel as civilian casualties pile up in Gaza. Criticism of Israel's military campaign swelled this week when an Israeli airstrike killed six workers with the World Central Kitchen, one being an American, and their Palestinian driver as they were leaving a warehouse in Central Gaza.

The workers, delivering food aid in Gaza, were driving in a 'de-conflicted zone' in armored, labeled cars that were struck by an Israeli rocket. 

On Friday a group of more than 30 House Democrats including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded Biden halt the transfer of weapons to Israel. 

'In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, we believe it is unjustifiable to approve these weapons transfers,' read the letter. 

The Palestinian death toll since October has surpassed 33,000. 

Last week Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blasted Biden for paying only lip service to the Palestinian cause. 

'As you know there have been a lot of statements. I mean, one day 'I'm angry,' the president is angry at Netanyahu. The next day he's 'very angry' and the next day he's 'very very angry.' So what?' the Vermont progressive said of the White House response.

Palestinian elderly woman pushes a wheelchair past rubble in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024 after Israel pulled troops out of the southern Gaza Strip, six months into the devastating war following the October 7 attacks

Palestinians use a road lined with damaged and destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024

'At the same, there is support for military aid. We're talking about $10 billion in a supplemental bill that I voted against for that reason,' Sanders went on.

The senator vowed not to give Netanyahu another $10 billion in military aid to 'continue to kill women and children in Gaza.'

Sanders made the remarks during a taping of the podcast Pod Save America which was released on Friday.

'You cannot continue to talk about your worries about humanitarian situation in Gaza and then give Netanyahu another $10 billion or more bombs. You cannot do that. That is hypocritical.'

Sanders said the president is not stupid and he knows Biden is a 'very decent human being' who is 'hurting' from what's going on, but he could not say why the White House as continued with the policy of supporting military aid.

The senator was responding to a question on whether he believes the Biden administration is shifting its stance to support conditioning aid to Israel. The senator said he did not know.

On Thursday, Biden had an hour long phone call with Netanyahu after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven aid workers earlier in the week including a duel U.S. citizen.

Biden 'emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,' the White House said in a readout of the conversation.

'He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. 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,' the readout continued.

Biden is facing mounting pressure at home and abroad to do more to ensure the safety of civilians in Gaza. He has also faced growing political pressure as more Americans reject U.S. support military support for Israel.

Support for Israel's military action in Gaza has dropped dramatically since November with the majority of Americans now opposing, according to the latest Gallup survey data.

55 percent disapprove of Israel's actions while only 36 approve.

Sanders was asked what his message is for those who are considering a third party vote over Biden's handling of the war in Gaza.

The senator said he is working 'day and night' to try and turn the Biden administration around.

'I say to that young person, your gut feeling is right,' Sanders said. 'I have Palestinian friends who are worried every day what's going to happen if their family members have not already been killed. It is horrible. But all that I ask is lets not make a horrible situation even worse.'