Joe Biden will visit Israel as concerns mount that war with Hamas could spread
- Israel is preparing a ground attack of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’ deadly attack on October 7
- President Joe Biden’s trip is meant to reaffirm US solidarity with Israel and commitment to its security
US President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and on to Jordan on Wednesday to meet with both Israeli and Arab leadership, as concerns increase that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden’s travel to Israel as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip grows more dire and as Israel prepares for a possible ground attack on the 365 sq km territory to root out Hamas militants responsible for what US and Israeli officials say was the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust.
Biden is looking to send the strongest message yet that the US is behind Israel. His Democratic administration has pledged military support, sending US carriers and aid to the region.
Officials have said they would ask Congress for upwards of US$2 billion in additional aid for both Israel and Ukraine, which is fighting Russia’s invasion.
It’s a chance for Biden to burnish his national security credentials to US voters with the 2024 election just over a year away.
It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate that he’s making good on his campaign promise of exercising American leadership after four years of former president Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.