- Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by multiple countries and entities, including the United States, European Union, Israel, Canada, and others
Following the Hamas strikes, US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also revealed that Israel has agreed to cooperate on civilian supplies for Gaza.
Blinken said following a nearly eight-hour discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the defence ministry, on the top US diplomat’s second visit since the October 7 Hamas attacks.”The president will reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv early Tuesday.
“Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken said.
Biden, on the other hand, “will hear from Israel what it needs to defend his people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” the vice president added.
According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in Washington, Biden will travel to Tel Aviv.
He also stated that Biden would visit Jordan and meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
According to Blinken, the US has obtained guarantees from Israel that it will strive to deliver foreign supplies into the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip as Israel prepares a ground offensive against the Hamas-ruled area.
According to US authorities, David Satterfield, the new US coordinator for humanitarian relief, would engage with Israel to build more precise plans.
Vice President Joe Biden wants to “hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimises civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas,” he added.
“At our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan to enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organisations to reach civilians in Gaza,” Blinken said.
He stated that the two sides discussed the “possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way.”
“We appreciate the Israeli government’s commitment to working on this plan.” “The president is eager to discuss it further when he comes here on Wednesday,” he said.
Biden has reaffirmed unshakable support for Israel following the worst attack in its 75-year history. However, he has expressed alarm about more severe ideas that could affect residents in Gaza, and he has already urged Israel to rethink a decision to cut off the water supply.
“We share Israel’s concern that Hamas will seize or destroy aid entering Gaza, preventing it from reaching those in need.”
“If Hamas in any way blocks humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, including by seizing the aid itself, we’ll be the first to condemn it, and we will work to prevent it from happening again,” Blinken said.