Biden speaks with Netanyahu as US-Israel tensions escalate over direction of Hamas war

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President Biden spoke Monday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tensions between the U.S. and Israel are escalating over the direction of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The call between the two leaders, which was the first since Feb. 15, came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a speech Thursday calling for Netanyahu’s ouster and labeling him an "obstacle to peace." The next day, Biden described Schumer’s remarks as a "good speech" that "expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans."

"President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, including the situation in Rafah and efforts to surge humanitarian assistance to Gaza," the White House Press Office said Monday.

Netanyahu had issued a sharp rebuttal to Schumer on Sunday, saying during an interview on "Fox & Friends Weekend" that his comments on the Senate floor were "wholly inappropriate."

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"I think we're not a banana republic. The people of Israel will choose when they'll have elections, who they elect, and it's not something that will be foisted upon us," Netanyahu added.

The majority leader had said he believed that "Prime