Joe Biden is exasperated by Israel but will not stop its war

SIXTY-SIX BUNDLES of food drifting on parachutes onto the beach of Gaza on March 2nd made for an incongruous sight after five months of war: as Israel dropped American-made bombs on Gaza, America’s air force dropped ready meals. The aid operation, conducted jointly with Jordan and repeated on March 5th, symbolised not the power of America, but its frustration at its limited ability to influence Israel’s fight against Hamas.President Joe Biden has sharpened his tone towards Israel of late, saying he would accept “no excuses” for delays in increasing humanitarian supplies to Gaza. He faces growing pressure, at home and abroad, over the appalling toll of the war, not least the mass displacement of Gaza’s population, the deaths of thousands of civilians, and widespread hunger and disease.