New Book Accuses Biden Administration of Enabling Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

In Crossing the Red Line, Akbar Shahid Ahmed argues that the Biden team repeatedly downplayed or denied credible reports of starvation, lack of water and medical supplies in Gaza during 2023-24. He cites National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk as questioning Palestinian casualty figures, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s staff allegedly allowed weapons shipments without demanding war-crime assessments.

The book details how the United States protected Israel diplomatically, including at the UN, and only briefly altered its stance after an Israeli drone strike killed seven members of Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen convoy. That limited response led to a short-lived increase in aid deliveries, but the administration soon reverted to its prior pattern of supporting Israel’s military actions. Ahmed concludes that the administration’s failure to curb Israel’s campaign contributed to broader regional instability and will shape historical judgments of Biden’s foreign policy.