President Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to “reaffirm America’s solidarity” with the Jewish nation, more than a week after Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans, and took dozens of hostages to the Gaza Strip.
Biden’s long-awaited trip was announced Monday night by Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the top American diplomat met for nearly eight hours with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“On Wednesday, President Biden will visit Israel,” Blinken said during a brief press conference. “He comes here at a critical time for Israel, for the region and for the world.”
The 80-year-old president’s visit will come as the Israeli army prepares to invade Gaza to oust Hamas.
Biden’s trip will have multiple purposes: First, “the president will reaffirm America’s solidarity with Israel and our unwavering commitment to its security,” Blinken said.
“President Biden will again make clear… that Israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
He added that the president hopes to hear how Israel plans to minimize civilian deaths during its offensive through the impoverished and overpopulated Palestinian territory.
Biden has presented himself as a fervent ally of Israel following the Oct. 7 surprise attack, in which Hamas kidnapped nearly 200 people, including some Americans.
The terrorist group has threatened to kill hostages on camera in response to Israeli operations inside Gaza, which Hamas has ruled since 2007.
President Biden arrived in Israel on a surprise trip days after Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,300 people, including at least 30 Americans. AFP via Getty Images
The president plans to work with Israeli partners to secure the release of hostages while they are in the country and also hear from Israeli leaders what they need to defend themselves so Congress can work to meet those needs, Blinken said.
Other high-ranking American politicians have visited Israel since the Hamas attack, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who took shelter with four other senators on Sunday amid air raid sirens.
Schumer told The Post in an interview that he visited Israel to draft a “long and extensive list” of requests for defensive and offensive military aid from the Jewish state, which he wants Congress to approve “as quickly as possible.”
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul will address Israel as a show of support, she revealed in a statement Monday night.
“Tomorrow I will travel to Israel on a solidarity mission to meet with diplomatic leaders and communities devastated by Hamas’ horrific attacks,” Hochul said.
“New York will always support Israel,” the governor added.
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The conflict has caused divisions among Democrats. Several House members, including Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), are calling for a ceasefire, which Schumer said he rejected .
“If the Hamas threat is not eliminated, they will do it again,” the majority leader said.
Biden has presented himself as a fervent ally of Israel after the surprise attack on October 7, in which Hamas kidnapped almost 200 people, including some Americans.REUTERS
Israeli retaliatory airstrikes have killed at least 2,778 Palestinians in Gaza, where almost half the population are children. A potential humanitarian crisis is becoming more serious with each passing day as Israel cuts off water, fuel and electricity to the small territory.
American leaders have asked the Jewish nation to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, beyond its blockades of the strip, Blinken also announced during the press conference.
“Today, at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will allow humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza and only them, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of Gaza. path of damage,” said the Secretary of State. “It is essential that aid begins to reach Gaza as soon as possible.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also visited Israel in recent days.
This is not Biden’s first trip to a war-torn state. He visited Kiev in February in a show of support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and his re-election campaign ran an ad last month portraying him as a brave and practical commander in chief.
Rockets are fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, Monday, October 16, 2023.AP
The president’s trip comes as many Republicans blame him for relaxing financial pressure on Iran, which multiple reports say helped plan the Hamas attack. However, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the military has no evidence that Iran was involved in planning the surprise attack during a call with reporters Monday morning.
Biden approved the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds in August as part of a prisoner exchange. The money is in the hands of Qatar and was supposed to finance food and medicine. Last week, a Treasury Department official privately told House Democrats that the money would not be distributed, but White House officials have declined to confirm it publicly.
Although he has presented himself as a strong defender of Israel, Biden has also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead a measured response as the Israeli government urges Gazans to relocate away from the northern part of the territory.
Biden said in a “60 Minutes” interview broadcast Sunday that it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to try to permanently occupy Gaza, a prospect the country’s government has ruled out.
With post cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn