U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu may be stalling the end of the war in Gaza for political reasons, according to an interview with Time magazine published on Tuesday.

These comments came in an interview conducted on May 28, just days before Biden detailed a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, and at a time when the Israeli Prime Minister is facing deep political divisions at home.

In response to a question about whether he believes Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political reasons, Biden said, "There are all the reasons for people to come to that conclusion."

Biden, who is seeking to end the war that has been ongoing for nearly eight months, stated that it is "uncertain" whether Israeli forces have committed war crimes in Gaza.

He rejected allegations that Israel is using the starvation of civilians as a means of warfare but said, "I think they have engaged in inappropriate activity."

Biden warned Israel not to make the same mistake the United States did after the September 11, 2001 attacks that led to "endless wars," emphasizing that they are making this mistake.

When asked about the interview, Israeli government spokesperson David Menzor said it is "beyond the norms of diplomacy for any sound-minded state" for Biden to make such comments about Netanyahu.

Protests Against Netanyahu

Last month, the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court in The Hague requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, along with three Hamas leaders, on charges of committing war crimes.

Israel launched an aerial and ground assault on Gaza last October, pledging to destroy the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) after it attacked inside Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of more than 250 hostages according to Israeli statistics. There are still about 120 hostages in Gaza.

The Israeli assault has led to the deaths of more than 36,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there, who say thousands of bodies are buried under the rubble.

Polls show that most Israelis support the war but blame Netanyahu for security failures when Hamas fighters invaded Israeli communities near Gaza on October 7, and they would vote for his departure if elections were held.

Massive street protests have become weekly events, attracting tens of thousands demanding that the government do more to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas since October 7 and calling for Netanyahu to resign.