President Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to “reaffirm the United States’ solidarity” with the Jewish nation — more than a week after Hamas terrorists slaughtered over 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans, and took dozens of hostages to the Gaza Strip.
Biden’s expected trip was announced Monday night by Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the top US diplomat met for nearly eight hours with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“On Wednesday, President Biden will visit Israel,” Blinken said during a short press briefing. “He’s coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and for the world.”
The 80-year-old president’s visit will come as the Israeli military prepares to invade Gaza to clear out Hamas.
Biden’s trip will serve multiple purposes — first and foremost, “the president will reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security,” Blinken said.
“President Biden will again 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.”
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
He added that the president hopes to hear how Israel plans to minimize civilian deaths during its offensive through the impoverished and overpopulated Palestinian territory.
Biden has presented himself as an ardent ally of Israel after the Oct. 7 surprise attack, in which Hamas abducted nearly 200 people, including some Americans.
The terrorist group has threatened to murder the hostages on camera in response to Israeli operations inside Gaza, which Hamas has ruled since 2007.
The president plans to work with Israeli partners to secure the release of the hostages while in the country and also hear from Israeli leaders what they need to defend themselves so that Congress can work to meet those needs, Blinken said.
Other senior US politicians have visited Israel since the Hamas rampage, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who on Sunday sheltered with four other senators amid air-raid sirens.
Schumer told The Post in an interview that he visited Israel to draft a “long extensive list” of defensive and offensive military aid requests from the Jewish state, which he wants Congress to approve “as quickly as possible.”
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul will head to Israel as a show of support, she revealed in a Monday night statement.
“Tomorrow I’m traveling to Israel for a solidarity mission to meet with diplomatic leaders & communities devastated by the horrific Hamas attacks,” Hochul said.
“New York will always stand with Israel,” the governor added.
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The conflict has spurred divisions among Democrats. Several House members, including Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are calling for a ceasefire, which Schumer said he rejected.
“If the threat of Hamas is not eliminated, they will do it again,” the majority leader said.
Retaliatory Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 2,778 Palestinians in Gaza — where nearly half the population is children. A potential humanitarian crisis is growing more dire by the day as the small territory’s water, fuel and electricity have been cut off by Israel.
US leaders have requested the Jewish nation allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, past its blockades of the strip, Blinken also announced during the press conference.
“Today, at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza and them alone, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way,” the secretary of state said. “It is critical that aid begin flowing into Gaza as soon as possible.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also has visited Israel in recent days.
This is not Biden’s first trip to a war-torn state. He visited Kyiv in February in a show of support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and his re-election campaign released an ad last month depicting him as a brave and hands-on commander-in-chief.
The president’s trip comes as many Republicans blame him for relaxing financial pressure on Iran, which multiple reports indicate helped plan Hamas’ onslaught. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces however said the military has no evidence Iran was involved in the planning of the surprise attack during a call with reporters Monday morning.
Biden in August approved the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds as part of a prisoner swap. The money is held by Qatar and was supposed to finance food and medicine. A Treasury Department official last week told House Democrats privately that the money would not be dispensed, but White House officials have refused to publicly confirm it.
Although he’s presented himself as a staunch defender of Israel, Biden also has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead a measured response as the Israeli government urges Gazans to relocate away from the territory’s northern area.
Biden said in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday that it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to seek to permanently occupy Gaza, a prospect the country’s government has ruled out.
With Post wires
