US President Biden Visits Israel Amid Conflict

In an extraordinary wartime visit, US President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv during the Israel-Hamas conflict. His trip was prompted by the hospital explosion in Gaza, which led to the cancellation of his scheduled visit to Jordan where he was to meet with Arab leaders. Biden’s visit follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trips to the region.

The White House outlined that Biden would engage in a “small restricted bilateral meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and meet Netanyahu’s War Cabinet. The President also planned to meet Israeli first responders and families affected by the conflict. Biden was scheduled to speak with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. His focus was primarily on managing the complex situation rather than securing clear deliverables. A planned summit in Jordan, involving meetings with King Abdullah II, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, was canceled due to the hospital bombing.

The Palestinian Authority attributed the bombing to Israel, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied involvement and blamed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The cancellation of the summit was described as a mutual decision, with President Abbas expressing the need for three days of mourning for the hospital blast victims.