The arrival of US President Joe Biden to Tel Aviv, according to an IDF spokeswoman, won’t have an impact on or complicate the ground operation in Gaza, according to a Tuesday story in The Times of Israel. Biden will make a wartime visit in the latest illustration of Washington’s resounding support for Jerusalem in the wake of the October 7 Hamas assault, according to the publication citing a CNN report. “I think the president also said that ‘Hamas needs to be destroyed,’ and that is exactly our military aim,” the spokesperson for the IDF was quoted as saying.
He will visit Israel for the first time as a head of state since the start of the conflict. He won over Israelis from all political stripes last week with an emotional address in which he voiced his grief over the terrible Hamas attack. At a time when Israel is engaged in its most difficult conflict with the terrorist organization Hamas, US Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel there on Wednesday. At a news conference held here on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that President Biden’s visit to Israel comes at a “critical moment” and that he will reiterate US support for Israel.
“US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday. He is coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world. President Biden will reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with Israel. President Biden will again make clear, as he’s done unequivocally since Hamas’s slaughter of more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans, that Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” he said.
He further added by saying that President Biden will continue to coordinate closely with the Israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas. “President Biden will underscore our crystal clear message to any actor, state or non-state trying to take advantage of this crisis to attack Israel, don’t. President will continue to coordinate closely with our Israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas…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,” he said.
Blinken noted that President Biden will also receive a comprehensive brief on Israel’s war aims and strategy. Meanwhile, the White House also issued a statement on President Biden’s visit to Israel.”President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will travel to Israel on Wednesday, October 18, to demonstrate his steadfast support for Israel in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack and to consult on next steps,” the White House said.
“President Biden will then travel to Amman, Jordan, where he will meet with his Majesty King Abdullah, Egyptian President Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He will reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination and discuss the humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza,” the White House added in its statement.