Unexpectedly, 400 government employees from 40 departments and agencies in President Biden’s administration have voiced their disapproval of how the Israel-Hamas conflict has been handled. The officials expressed their concerns in a letter whose contents were first made public by the New York Times. The officials represented important departments, including the State Department, White House, National Security Council, and Justice Department.

The letter’s signatories made the decision to stay nameless because they wanted to shield themselves from possible career backlash. In the letter, President Biden is urged to act immediately, calling for the de-escalation of the current war and demanding a cease-fire.

In particular, the letter demands the prompt release of Palestinians who have been arbitrarily arrested and Israeli captives, the restoration of basic utilities like electricity, fuel, and water, and the facilitation of the delivery of sufficient humanitarian goods to the Gaza Strip. These demands demonstrate how the officials feel the same way about the need to solve the region’s current and long-term humanitarian challenges.

But President Biden and other Western leaders have rejected calls for a cease-fire, arguing that doing so would only help the militants from Hamas. Rather, Israel has agreed to the Biden administration’s position, which calls for humanitarian breaks in the conflict.

The internal conflict inside Biden’s administration is reflective of larger Democratic Party tensions around the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has been under fire from certain progressive party members, who have called it a “apartheid state” and described the Gaza War as a “genocide” against Palestinians.

The only other prominent Western leader who has called on Israel to establish a cease-fire is President Emmanuel Macron of France. He did, however, clarify his words by reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense.

Therefore, it is unknown what the administration’s position is on this internal dispute as of right now because the White House has not replied to the letter from the dissident officers.

The situation is still unstable as the confrontation heats up and Israeli forces encircle Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Israel claims that Hamas has established its headquarters under the hospital, further complicating an already difficult situation.

The developments cast doubt on the future course of US policy in the area by exposing not just the intricacies of the Israel-Hamas conflict but also the internal conflicts within the Biden administration.