Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, said Biden’s decision to withhold high payload bombs from Israel and the administration's efforts to deter Israel's invasion of Rafah "just demonstrates their incompetence." (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ricketts’ comment came after Biden urged Israel's government not to carry out a ground invasion of Gaza's southern city of Rafah, which is currently home to more than a million Palestinians who fled other parts of the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war with Hamas.
On Israel's Rafah offensive, the Nebraska Republican claimed the Jewish country was being cautious about avoiding civilian deaths.
"There's 4 or 5 [Hamas] battalions left in Rafah. They all have to be destroyed," Ricketts said. "The leadership needs to be killed. And frankly, Israel is doing more than any nation I can think of as far as trying to avoid civilian casualties."
Biden’s own threats to withhold offensive aid from Israel has prompted wide criticism, including from the House Oversight Committee, which is launching an investigation to see if the president has violated the law.
"The idea that we would cut off military aid to an ally, our only true, true ally in the entire region, is absolutely preposterous. It's just beyond my comprehension that anyone would do that."— Then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in a 2019 PBS interview
BLINKEN DELIVERS STRONGEST PUBLIC REBUKE OF ISRAEL YET: 'GET OUT OF GAZA'
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., questioned both the decision-making process and the timing of the announcement itself in a letter to President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.
He also requested a congressional briefing from the White House National Security Council in addition to communications and other documents related to discussions about pausing any kind of aid to Israel, with a deadline of May 24.
Former President Trump and several of his supporters in Congress have accused Biden of initiating a quid pro quo with Israel. (Chris Kleponis/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former President Trump and several of his supporters in Congress have accused Biden of initiating a quid pro quo with Israel — conditioning or withholding aid to Israel in order to change its foreign policy. Trump was impeached for threatening to withhold money from Ukraine, although the funding was ultimately not withheld.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-says-biden-has-strengthened-hamas-withholding-aid-from-israel-completely-incompetent