The United States President, Joe Biden, is set to pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday following the recent Hamas attacks. This announcement was made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also revealed that Israel has agreed to collaborate on providing civilian aid for Gaza.
Secretary Blinken’s statement came after a nearly eight-hour meeting at the defense ministry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This meeting marked the top U.S. diplomat’s second visit since the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
“The president will reaffirm United States’ solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security,” Blinken said early Tuesday in Tel Aviv.
“Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken emphasized.
Biden’s visit is aimed at understanding Israel’s needs in defending its people, and the U.S. government is actively working with Congress to meet these requirements, as noted by Blinken.
In addition to visiting Tel Aviv, President Biden will travel to Jordan, where he is scheduled to meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Secretary Blinken also revealed that the U.S. has secured assurances from Israel regarding efforts to bring foreign assistance into the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip, as Israel prepares for a ground offensive against the Hamas-ruled territory.
The U.S. is appointing a new coordinator on humanitarian aid, David Satterfield, who will work with Israel to develop more concrete plans for delivering assistance to Gaza.
Biden’s focus during the visit is to ensure that Israel conducts its operations in a manner that minimizes civilian casualties and facilitates the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, without benefiting Hamas.
“At our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken highlighted.
Efforts are underway to create safe areas to protect civilians from harm, and Israel’s commitment to this plan was welcomed by Secretary Blinken. President Biden looks forward to discussing this further during his visit on Wednesday.
Biden has expressed unwavering solidarity with Israel, especially after the recent attacks, which were the most severe in its 75-year history. However, he has also voiced concerns about proposals that could impact civilians in Gaza and earlier urged Israel to reverse a decision to cut off the water supply.
“We share Israel’s concern that Hamas may seize or destroy aid entering Gaza or otherwise prevent it from reaching the people who need it,” Blinken mentioned.
He further emphasized, “If Hamas in any way blocks humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, including by seizing the aid itself, we’ll be the first to condemn it and we will work to prevent it from happening again.”
| Sahara Reporters
