President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday in an attempt to prevent the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine from taking a larger shape. Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the gruesome attack on the Gaza Hospital appeared to have been" done by the other group" which is the Palestinians and not the Israeli government.
Joe Biden said, "explosion at Gaza hospital appears to have been done by the other team, not you," to Netanyahu.
During the meeting, Biden said, "Mr Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) I am really happy to be back in Israel with you. Thank you for having me and I am looking forward to have a thorough discussion about where everything goes from here."
Biden had plans to visit Jordan, but his meetings with Arab leaders were cancelled at the last moment, missing an opportunity for crucial face-to-face discussions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Biden at Ben Gurion Airport, and they are scheduled to have extensive meetings. During these meetings, the U.S. president is expected to advocate for the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 Israelis.
John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, told reporters aboard Air Force One that Biden “wants to get a sense from the Israelis on the situation on the ground” and will “ask some tough questions." “He'll be asking them as a friend,” Kirby added.
The president also planned to meet Israeli first responders and the families of victims killed and hostages taken when Hamas made its incursion into Israel.
Approximately 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes. Another 1,200 individuals are believed to be trapped under the debris, with their status uncertain. These figures do not account for the Al-Ahli hospital explosion that occurred on Tuesday, for which the exact cause remains unclear.
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, attributes the destruction to an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military denies involvement and points to a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group.
