President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and neighboring Jordan on Wednesday, according to senior US officials, in a high-stakes visit that coincides with Israel’s intensifying conflict with Hamas.
Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken verified that the one-day trip to the region will reaffirm the United States’ support for one of its closest allies.
“He’s coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world,” Blinken stated, further stating that “the president will reaffirm the United States solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security.”
John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters that Biden will “reaffirm our solidarity with Israel and look forward to hearing from Israeli officials about their strategy and the tempo of their military operations. He will seek to learn from Israel what they believe they require to continue defending their people, so that we can continue to work with Congress to attempt to meet those requirements.
Kirby stated that Biden is slated to meet with Israeli officials to discuss the nearly 200 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, obtain additional information about the situation, and coordinate efforts to secure their release.
In Amman, Jordan, the president will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. There, the humanitarian requirements of Gaza’s civilians will be discussed.
“Innocent civilians are always innocent civilians,” stated Kirby. “And none of them deserve to be victims of armed conflict, regardless of which side of the line they reside on, what they call themselves, or how they worship. As previously stated, the appropriate quantity of civilian casualties is zero. In this regard, we have been nothing but consistent.”
The trip will only last one day, but “there’s a lot on the agenda,” said Kirby. “Again, reiterating that Israel has the right to defend itself and to go after these Hamas terrorists, and that the United States will continue to support them.”
“I would remind that Hamas is deliberately putting innocent civilians at greater risk by setting up road blocks, not letting them move, putting up commanding control headquarters in tunnels underneath their homes and schools and hospitals.”
This will be Biden’s second trip to a conflict zone this year, following his unannounced visit to Ukraine in February, just before the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Since the attacks by Hamas combatants began on October 7, more than 1,400 Israeli civilians have been brutally murdered and 3,400 have been injured. There were reports of an elderly lady being gunned down at a bus stop, children being murdered, and festival-goers being slaughtered.
In response, Israel has launched a barrage of missile attacks on Gaza, destroying portions of the densely populated city and displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians, leaving them uncertain about their food and water supplies. The littoral enclave’s health ministry reported 2,778 fatalities and 9,938 injuries since the start of Israel’s counterattacks.
