U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Israel on Wednesday as the nation faces escalating tensions with Hamas militants, resulting in a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and concerns of a broader conflict with Iran.
The visit serves as a clear demonstration of unwavering U.S. support for its key Middle East ally, following the October 7 Hamas gunmen attack that killed 1,300 people in southern Israeli towns, marking the deadliest day in Israel’s history.
Israel has responded by tightening its blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel, and bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv early on Tuesday by saying that Biden would visit Israel.
“The president will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” Blinken told reporters.
Biden would meet with Netanyahu, reaffirm Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security, and receive a comprehensive brief on its war aims and strategy, Blinken said.
“(The) president will hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas,” Blinken added.
Blinken also said he and Netanyahu had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He did not provide details.
After visiting Israel, Biden would travel to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
Gaza authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.
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Israeli officials say that as well as the casualties Hamas inflicted, the Iran-backed group also took some 199 captives back into Gaza.
A top Hamas leader said on Monday the group “has what it needs” to free all Palestinians in Israel’s jails, indicating it may try to use the Israelis it kidnapped on Oct. 7 as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Soon after Hamas official Khaled Meshaal made the remarks on the captives, who include Israelis and non-Israelis, the group’s armed wing separately said the non-Israelis were “guests” who would be released “when circumstances allow.”
Hamas released a video on Monday in which a French-Israeli woman captive was shown having her injured arm treated by an unidentified medical worker. She identified herself as 21-year-old Mia Schem and asked to be returned to her family as quickly as possible.