President Biden is considering visiting Israel in the coming days, despite the looming threat of a full-scale ground invasion by the Middle Eastern country in Gaza.
The commander in chief has not made any official travel plans to Israel as it enters its second week of war with Hamas, a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press on Sunday.
Biden has strongly expressed his support for the US ally since the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans.
However, it has also made efforts to restrain Israel from further escalating tensions by reoccupying Gaza.
“I think it would be a big mistake,” Biden said during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that aired Sunday.
“Look, what happened in Gaza, in my opinion, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas do not represent all the Palestinian people. And I think it would be a mistake for Israel to reoccupy Gaza.”
Biden speaks at a dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign at the Washington Convention Center in Washington on October 14, 2023.REUTERS
The president and his administration have refused to criticize Israel or its relentless bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of civilians, including women and children, in Gaza.
On Friday, the Israeli government gave one million people living in the northern Gaza Strip 24 hours to evacuate ahead of an expected attack on the country.
At least 70 Palestinians were killed and another 200 wounded when they were hit by an airstrike while trying to follow orders, an attack that Israel denies carrying out.
An aerial view shows members of the media during a visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, following a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, southern Israel, October 15, 2023.REUTERS
So far, at least 2,400 Palestinians have died in the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken already traveled through the Middle East last week trying to prevent the war with Hamas from triggering a broader regional conflict.
Blinken emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas attacks, but must take into account the cost of civilian life when carrying out its counteroffensive missions.
A view of the destruction following the deadly attack on a police station in the town of Sderot on the second day of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.ZUMAPRESS.com
“I am confident that Israel will act under the rules of war,” Biden said on 60 Minutes.
“There are standards that democratic institutions and countries follow,” he said. “And I am confident that the innocent people of Gaza will be able to have access to medicine, food and water.”
The White House also named David Satterfield, former ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey, to lead US efforts to bring humanitarian assistance to “vulnerable people across the Middle East.” Satterfield was expected to arrive in Israel on Monday.
With pole cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn