US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday amid concerns that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict. Biden would also travel to Jordan for a summit meeting with the heads of States of Jordan, Egypt and the president of Palestinian Authority.
In what could be considered as sending the strongest message yet of US' support to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden's travel to Israel at a time when the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip grows more dire and as Israel prepares for a possible ground attack. Officials have said they would ask Congress for upward of USD 2 billion in additional aid for both Israel and Ukraine, which is fighting Russia's invasion.
So far, Biden's Democratic administration has pledged military support to Israel, sending US carriers and aid to the region. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated the need for humanitarian aid to be able to continue to flow into Gaza. Truckloads of aid was barred from entering into Gaza on Monday at Egypt's border with the region.
The announcement of Biden's visit came shortly after he spoke over phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the fallout from Hamas militants' attacks on Israel. Biden will make clear that “Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken told reporters after hours of talks with Israel’s war cabinet in Tel Aviv.
Iran's warning
Iran's foreign minister warned that “preemptive action is possible” if Israel moves closer to its looming ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. “Leaders of the resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to do whatever it wants in Gaza and then go after other resistance groups after it's done with Gaza,” he told state television. “Therefore any preemptive action is possible in the coming hours.”
Last week, Iran’s top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran was not involved in the Hamas attack on Israel, but hailed what he called Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence defeat.
