Rashida Tlaib Launches Furious Attack on Joe Biden

Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib has condemned President Joe Biden for not calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and said that he will pay the price for his stance in the 2024 election.

Tlaib, who represents Michigan's 12th district, is the first woman of Palestinian descent in Congress and has been among progressive Democrat representatives who have called on Biden to de-escalate the crisis in Gaza.

Israel's ground forces have surrounded Gaza City following a bombing campaign it says aims at wiping out Hamas, after the militant group killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostages during an assault in southern Israel on October 7. Gaza health officials said on Saturday that more than 9,488 Palestinians have been killed, Reuters reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no temporary ceasefire until all hostages are released.

However, pressure is also building on Biden since he said that there was the wholehearted support from the U.S. for Netanyahu in fighting against Hamas after the attacks on October 7. The president faces criticism from progressives and other figures who have urged him to back a ceasefire and do more to rein in Israel.

A video released by Tlaib on Friday, in which she condemns Biden, has gone viral. It starts with a clip of the president announcing "we stand with Israel" before segueing into footage of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, injured Palestinians and pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the U.S.

Tlaib then says that "the American people are not with you on this one," as the video cuts to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby telling a press conference that "innocent civilians are going to be hurt" in the conflict. Addressing the camera, Tlaib then says that "we will remember in 2024."

The 1 minute, 29 second video, which as of Saturday morning had received more than 2.4 million views, ends with a caption that reads: "Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people. The American people won't forget. Biden support a ceasefire now or don't count on us in 2024."

Newsweek has contacted the White House by email for comment.

It comes as the UN refugee agency in Gaza (Unrwa) told Reuters on Saturday that the UN-run Al-Fakhoura school Jabalia refugee camp had been hit in an air strike.

At least 15 people died and dozens more were wounded, said Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, a health official cited by the news agency.

Israel has ordered all civilians to leave the northern part of the Gaza Strip. This includes Gaza City where it says Hamas militants are hiding in tunnels. Israeli forces have bombed the whole territory and said that the militants are hiding among civilians.

Meanwhile, Israel's military has said it would enable Palestinians to travel on a main Gaza Strip highway, the Salah al-Din road, during a three-hour window on Saturday.