Biden set to make wartime visit to Israel

News Desk - The Cradle 

The US President is seeking to hold negotiations regarding the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

US President Joe Biden is set to make his way to Israel on 18 October as a show of solidarity and to attempt to persuade the Israelis to use different means of attacks as the humanitarian disaster in Gaza worsens.  

“[Biden is] coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and the world.” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on his return to Israel after his seven-country trip across West Asia. 

Blinken added that the US and Israel would come together to create a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza and the “possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way.” 

The US president's trip comes after the failure of a US-led plan that would allow aid to go into the Gaza Strip on Monday. Israeli authorities denied the existence of such a plan. 

Biden also hopes to deter the ongoing war from spilling into bordering regions like Lebanon as skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel continue on the Southern Lebanese border.  

However, The Israeli army spokesperson Jonathan Conricus has said that he doesn’t think the President’s visit will delay or complicate the still-to-come ground operation in Gaza.  

“I think the president also said that ‘Hamas needs to be destroyed,’ and that is exactly our military aim,” Conricus told CNN. 

The US president is set to head to Amman after his stay in Israel for a one-day trip.  

While in Jordan, Biden is set to meet with the Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  

Washington officials predict that 500 to 600 US nationals are trapped in Gaza. Hamas Spokesperson Abu Obaida said in a speech yesterday that they hold 200-250 captives, some of whom are of different nationalities. He also mentioned that 22 of them were killed due to Israeli airstrikes.