The prime minister has indicated that troop fatalities were, in part, a result of ammunition shortfalls caused by a U.S. arms “embargo”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that a partial U.S. arms “embargo” under former U.S. President Joe Biden played a role in soldiers’ deaths during the conflict with Hamas. The comments drew sharp criticism from Biden administration officials, who accused Netanyahu of being ungrateful.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that Israel incurred “very high costs” following the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, and contended that beyond the typical casualties of battle “at a certain point, we lacked sufficient ammunition.”
Without explicitly naming Biden, he noted that “heroes perished” due to a lack of necessary resources and that “some of this missing ammunition was attributable to the embargo.”
In this context, Netanyahu stated that the experience strengthened his drive to develop a more robust domestic defense industry, aiming to secure “maximum independence” so that Israel does not “exhaust its weapons or ammunition.”
Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to Biden, dismissed the criticism, telling Axios that Netanyahu was “both being untruthful and ungrateful to a president who literally rescued Israel at its most vulnerable time.”
He specifically highlighted over $20 billion in U.S. military aid along with other support measures, asserting that the only fitting response was “thank you.”
Though Biden offered strong backing to Israel in the early stages following the unexpected Hamas attack, in 2024 he paused certain weapons deliveries – especially large aerial bombs – due to concerns they might be used to harm civilians in Gaza. At the time, Biden also acknowledged that Israel’s use of U.S.-made weapons resulted in civilian deaths.
Biden also publicly characterized Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war as “a mistake,” called for a ceasefire, and stated there was “no justification” for the failure to permit humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory. Netanyahu dismissed the criticism, claiming Biden’s approach was “damaging Israel.”
In contrast, Netanyahu has had significantly warmer relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who once referred to himself as Israel’s “greatest friend,” though this relationship has not been free of tension. Trump notably criticized Netanyahu for a September airstrike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.