Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and his top national security officials are increasingly confronting questions about Israel’s commitment to minimizing civilian deaths and how scenes from Gaza could affect his domestic political standing. Already, Biden had been walking a tightrope in his support for Israel following the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. Biden has resisted calls for a ceasefire, including at the United Nations, and insists Israel has a “responsibility” to defend its citizens from terrorism. It also included attempts by US officials to interrogate Israel’s war plans, which appeared not fully developed to some. And I think everyone understands that,” Biden told reporters as he returned home from his brief trip to Israel on October 18.

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