Ben-Gvir accuses Biden of siding with Hamas's Sinwar over Israel

Israel's far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has accused US President Biden of supporting "Israel's enemies" including Hamas leaders and staunchly pro-Palestine progressive American politicians.

Speaking to The New York Times, the minister said that the administration leans more toward Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, and Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American Democratic Congresswoman who represents a district in Michigan, than its long-time ally Israel.

It comes after the US abstained from a vote at the UNSC calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, leading to an angry response from Israel.

"Presently, Biden prefers the line of Rashida Tlaib and Sinwar to the line of Benjamin Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir," Ben-Gvir said.

"I would have expected the president of the United States not to take their line but rather to take ours."

Tlaib is vocal in her pro-Palestine stance and has even confronted Biden over his support for Israel in 2021. The Congresswoman was one of the many who protested for a ceasefire during President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech.

Sinwar was elected as the new head of the bureau in 2017 and re-elected four years later and is believed to have "orchestrated" the Hamas 7 October attacks in Israel.

The Ben-Gvir also added that Biden has "constantly sought to impose restrictions on Israel and talks about the rights of the other side" that includes "terrorists who want to destroy us [Israel]".

Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have reportedly threatened to quit the government if Palestinian prisoners are released as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.https://t.co/ktCStA790R

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The minister had also critiqued the administration for its handling of the war on Gaza, saying presidential candidate Donald Trump would grant Israel more "freedom" to fight Hamas.

While the US has provided strong support to Israel throughout the war, by supplying arms and diplomatic backing, tensions have been rising between the two nations.

Washington on Tuesday denied claims by Israel that the UN Security Council resolution on a Gaza ceasefire had damaged indirect truce negotiations with Hamas, as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled an Israeli delegation visit to Washington.

Biden earlier said he told Netanyahu the two of them were headed for a "come to Jesus" meeting over the issue of getting humanitarian aid into Gaza and imposed sanctions on some Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.