Warmonger Netanyahu tells US Republicans Gaza war will continue

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Republican senators that Israel will continue its efforts to defeat Palestinian resistance group Hamas in besieged Gaza, senators told reporters after he addressed a party lunch.

"He's going to do what he said he's going to do. He's going to finish it," Senator Jim Risch said on Wednesday.

The hawkish Israeli leader spoke to Republicans via videolink nearly a week after the Senate's Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, gave a speech in the Senate harshly criticising Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace and urging new elections in Israel.

Wednesday's meeting underscored the politicisation of Washington's Israel policy.

Netanyahu has long been aligned with Republicans, who accused Schumer of seeking to "overthrow" the Israeli leader.

"We asked... him for an update, and we got it on the war, on the release of the hostages and in the efforts to defeat Hamas. We told him Israel has every right to defend themselves, and he said that's exactly what they continue to do," Senator John Barrasso said.

Democratic leaders have been grappling with divisions in their party over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza five months into the genocide.

A spokesperson for Schumer said that Netanyahu had offered to speak to the Democrats as well, but Schumer declined, saying that the conversations should not be partisan.

Aid necessity

Progressives Democrats have called on President Biden to put more pressure on Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid groups warn of famine, and US officials say more than 30,000 civilians have been killed.

Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Netanyahu had addressed civilian casualties and the need to get more aid into Gaza.

He said Netanyahu was "very supportive" of plans to build a temporary pier and bring in aid by sea.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Netanyahu had made a presentation and then taken questions from senators.

"I made it clear to him, that it's not the business of the United States to be giving a democratic ally advice about when to have an election or what kind of military campaign they may be conducting," McConnell told reporters.

Israel has killed at least 31,923 people and wounded 74,096 others in the blockaded enclave so far.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while at least 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.