‘President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,’ the White House said in a readout of the conversation.

‘He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.’

Biden has been under pressure at home and abroad to do more to ensure civilian safety in Gaza. And he’s faced criticism for being angry behind the scenes but not expressing that in public.

On their call, Biden also urged Netanyahu for an immediate ceasefire.

‘He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home,’ the White House said in its readout.

The White House declined to say what specific steps they wanted to see but made it clear they want to see them soon – within ‘hours and days.’

‘There has to be tangible steps, let’s see what [Israelis] announce, let’s see what they do,’ White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

‘We expect that there will be some announcements coming from Israel in the coming hours and days.’

He described Biden as ‘shaken’ by the attack.

‘We’re looking for concrete steps to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza,’ he said. ‘If there’s no changes to their policy and their approaches then there’s going to have to be changes to ours.’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Biden’s message.

‘With regard to our policy in Gaza, look I’ll just say this; If we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there will be a change in our policy,’ he said during a press conference in Brussels where he is attending a NATO meeting.

Biden was reported to be ‘p***ed’ at the prime minister and progressive lawmakers are pushing the president to cut aid to Israel.

The Biden administration is currently weighing an $18 billion arms transfer package to Israel that would include dozens of F-15 aircraft, according to reports.

But former aides to Barack Obama signaled disgust Wednesday with details about Biden being privately angry behind the scenes instead of expressing that in public

‘The President doesn’t get credit for being ‘privately enraged’ when he still refuses to use leverage to stop the IDF from killing and starving innocent people,’ wrote former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau wrote on X. ‘These stories only make him look weak.’

‘I’m glad that US officials are outraged about the IDF massacre of World Central Kitchen workers (at least on background), but there have to be consequences for it to matter,’ former national security spokesman Tommy Vietor wrote on X. ‘Demand accountability and more aid trucks into Gaza. Stop transferring weapons.’

And in key battleground states in the 2024 election, Biden has faced protest votes in the Democratic primaries from progressives angry about his Gaza policy.

Israel is investigating the drone strike that killed the World Central Kitchen workers, who were delivering food to starving Palestinians in the Gaza strip.

The latest tete-a-tete between the two leaders comes as relations between Washington and Tel Aviv are detriorating over American fury not enough is being done to help the civilian population and Palestinian refugees.

Biden and Netanyahu last spoke on March 18th but this was their first conversation since the strike.

Meanwhile, celebrity chef Jose Andres told Reuters in an emotional interview on Wednesday that his aid workers were tageted ‘systematically, car by car.’

He said his charity had clear communication with the Israeli military, which he said knew his aid workers’ movements.

‘This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,’ Andres said.

‘This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of,’ he said. ‘It’s ‘very clear who we are and what we do.’

Jacob Flickinger, 33, was a dual citizen of America and Canada who was killed in the strike. He was a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan.

Flickinger’s father wrote in a Facebook message paying tribute to his son: ‘My son, Jacob, was killed Monday delivering food aid to starving families in Gaza. He died doing what he loved and serving others through his work with the World Central Kitchen.’