US President Joe Biden is expected to pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday after the deadly Hamas attack on October 7 before traveling to Jordan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.
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“The president will reaffirm America’s solidarity with Israel and our unwavering commitment to its security,” Blinken said early Tuesday after a night of marathon talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
“Israel has the right and duty to defend its people against Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” the American diplomatic chief added.
AFP
Mr. Biden “will hear from Israel about what it needs to defend its people, and we will continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” he continued.
He announced that the United States had also received guarantees from Israel to deliver foreign humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip as Israel prepares a ground offensive against the territory ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas.
Joe Biden hopes to “learn from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas,” Blinken said.
“At our request, the United States and Israel agreed to develop a plan to allow humanitarian assistance from donor countries and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” he said.
He said the two sides discussed “the possibility of establishing zones to protect civilians from danger.”
“We share Israel’s concerns that Hamas could seize or destroy aid entering the Gaza Strip or prevent it from reaching people who need it,” Blinken said.
“If Hamas prevents humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in any way, including by confiscating the aid itself, we will be the first to condemn it and work to prevent it. reproduce,” emphasized the Foreign Minister.
Joe Biden vowed to show unwavering solidarity with Israel, which suffered the worst attack in its 75-year history. But he also expressed his concern for the civilian population in Gaza.
After his visit to Israel, Joe Biden will travel to Amman, Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, a White House spokesman said Monday .
The president “will reiterate our belief that Hamas does not represent the vast majority of the Palestinian people, who are also victims,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council.