By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President, Joe Biden on Wednesday arrived Tel Aviv, Israel, for a crucial trip meant to demonstrate solidarity of Washington with Israel as the war with Afghan-backed Hamas, which started October 7, continues.
The brief visit is coming ahead of a planned ground assault against Hamas in Gaza, following the evacuation of about 1.1 million residents, even as humanitarian concerns mount.
Biden is expected to remain in Tel Aviv for his visit, which will include a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
Biden plans to deliver public remarks, Kirby said, and he’ll also meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as first responders, families who lost loved ones in the attack and families whose relatives Hamas may be holding hostage in Gaza.
Netanyahu extended the invitation to Biden after Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, killing at least 1,400 people.
On his way back to the U.S. on Wednesday, Biden is expected to speak with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
The discussion is likely to focus on a path forward in Gaza as Israeli military leaders consider next steps and Palestinian civilians call for humanitarian aid.
Biden initially planned to meet with Arab leaders at a Summit hosted by Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman, but the event was canceled following an explosion at a Christian-run medical complex in central Gaza City.
The explosion is estimated to have killed hundreds. Israeli and Palestinian authorities blamed each other for the fatal blast.
