President Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to “reaffirm the solidarity of the United States” with the Jewish state – more than a week after Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans, and took dozens of hostages to the Gaza Strip.
Biden’s expected trip was announced Monday night by Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the top US 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 briefing. “He came here at a critical moment 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 clear Hamas.
Biden’s trip will serve multiple purposes — first of all, “the president will reaffirm the solidarity of the United States with Israel and our strong commitment to its security,” Blinken said.
“President Biden will once 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.”
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He added that the president hoped to hear how Israel plans to minimize civilian casualties during its offensive through the impoverished and densely populated Palestinian territories.
Biden has shown himself to be a staunch ally of Israel after the October 7 surprise attack, in which Hamas kidnapped nearly 200 people, including several 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 killed more than 1,300 people, including at least 30 Americans. AFP via Getty Images
The president plans to work with Israel’s partners to secure the release of the hostages while 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 senior US politicians have visited Israel since the Hamas rampage, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who on Sunday took cover with four other senators amid air raid sirens.
Schumer told The Post in an interview that he visited Israel to draft a “long list” of defensive and offensive military aid requests from the Jewish state, which he wants Congress to approve “as soon as possible.”
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul will head to Israel as a show of support, she revealed in a statement Monday night.
“Tomorrow I will go to Israel on a solidarity mission to meet with diplomatic leaders & communities devastated by the horrific Hamas attacks,” Hochul said.
“New York will always stand with Israel,” the governor added.
Want to help? Donate here to the UJA-Federation of New York’s emergency fund to provide critical aid to the people of Israel, working with a network of non-profit organizations helping Jewish communities around the world.
The conflict has fueled divisions among Democrats. Several members of the House, including Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called for a truce, which Schumer said she rejected.
“If the threat of Hamas is not eliminated, they will do it again,” the majority leader said.
Biden has shown himself to be a staunch ally of Israel after the October 7 surprise attack, in which Hamas kidnapped nearly 200 people, including several Americans.REUTERS
Israeli retaliatory airstrikes have killed at least 2,778 Palestinians in Gaza — where almost half of the population are children. The potential humanitarian crisis worsens by the day as the small region’s water, fuel and electricity have been cut off by Israel.
US leaders have asked the Jewish state to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza, bypassing its blockade of the strip, Blinken also announced during a press conference.
“Today, at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will allow humanitarian aid from donor countries and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza and them alone, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way,” said the secretary of state. “It is important that aid starts flowing into Gaza as soon as possible.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also visited Israel in recent days.
This is not Biden’s first visit to the war-torn country. He visited Kyiv in February in a show of support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and his re-election campaign released ads last month portraying him as a bold and hands-on commander-in-chief.
Rockets are fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 16. 2023.AP
The president’s visit comes as many Republicans blame him for easing financial pressure on Iran, which some reports suggest helped plan Hamas attacks. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, however, said the military had no evidence Iran was involved in planning the surprise attack during a call with reporters Monday morning.
Biden in August approved the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds as part of a prisoner exchange. The money is held by Qatar and is supposed to fund food and medicine. A Treasury Department official last week told House Democrats privately that the money would not be released, but White House officials declined to confirm that publicly.
While he presents himself as a staunch defender of Israel, Biden has also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead a measured response as the Israeli government urges Gazans to evacuate the territory’s north.
Biden said in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday that it would be a “huge mistake” for Israel to seek to permanently occupy Gaza, a prospect the country’s government has rejected.
With Postal wire
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