US President Joe Biden escalated his criticism of the role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the war waged by Israel on Gaza, but he did not indicate any significant changes in US policy towards its pampered ally in the Middle East.

Biden said in an interview with the American Spanish-language Univision broadcast on Tuesday evening in response to a question about whether Netanyahu is more interested in political survival than in the national interest of the Israelis: “I think what he is doing is wrong.”

Biden added in the interview, which was recorded last Wednesday: “I do not agree with his approach.”

These statements demonstrate how Biden is increasingly willing to publicly criticize Netanyahu amid growing criticism from progressives in the Democratic Party over Israel's handling of the war in Gaza.

It is noteworthy that the latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health in the besieged Strip, which is subject to constant bombardment and destruction, indicate that more than 33,330 Palestinians have been killed, the overwhelming majority of whom are children and women, while the death toll exceeds 76,000 wounded, and most of the Strip’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced. A citizen of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, a city that the Israeli occupation army threatens to invade imminently.

Last month, Biden also praised a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who criticized Netanyahu and called for new elections in Israel. Schumer, (Democrat from New York State), said that Netanyahu allowed his “political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.”

Meanwhile, Biden has also come under harsh criticism for not backing up his comments with conditions on US arms sales to Israel. NBC News had previously reported the US decision last month to send more weapons to Israel.

Last week, more than forty Democratic members of Congress — including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — signed a letter urging Biden to halt arms transfers if “Israel fails to mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza adequately, including aid workers.”

In his interview with Univision, Biden said he called on the Israelis to "call for a ceasefire, and allow full access to all food and medicine entering the country over the next six or eight weeks."

"I've talked to everyone, from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They are ready to act," Biden said. “They are willing to transport this food. I believe there is no excuse for not meeting the medical and nutritional needs of these people. It should be done now.”

Regarding Rafah, the United States confirmed on Monday that it still rejects a large-scale Israeli operation in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, after Netanyahu announced setting a date for this operation.

The US administration has repeatedly called on Israel to present a plan to protect civilians in Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge to escape the war that has been going on for six months.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in response to a Jerusalem correspondent's question on Monday, saying, "We have clearly informed Israel of our belief that a large-scale invasion of Rafah would have a massive harmful impact on civilians, and that it would ultimately harm Israel's security."

He added, "It is not just a matter of Israel presenting a plan. We have made it clear to them that we believe there is a better way to achieve the legitimate goal of weakening, dismantling and defeating the Hamas brigades that are still present in Rafah."

Netanyahu announced on Monday that a date had been set for launching an attack on Rafah, but he did not announce it. He reiterated that victory over Hamas fighters “requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist brigades there,” stressing in a video clip that “it will happen, a date has been set.”

However, the American website “Axios” published on Tuesday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed his counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on Monday that Israel has not yet set a date for the attack on Rafah, despite Netanyahu’s public statement on Monday that “there is a date for the attack.” “.

President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly pressuring Netanyahu not to move forward with an operation in Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Netanyahu described the attack plans as settled, but many American officials and now Gallant are now opposing him.