US President Joe Biden Lands in Tel Aviv, Says “Other Team” Appears to be Behind Hospital Attack

Photo credit: CNN

US President Joe Biden arrived on Wednesday, 18 October, in Tel Aviv in Israel, on a trip to show solidarity with Israel during its ongoing war on Gaza.

His visit comes following a deadly explosion at Gaza’s Al Ahli Arab Hospital, which killed more than 300 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Upon arrival, Biden was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two parties held a joint press conference shortly after he arrived.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things,” said Biden during his visit, hinting that Palestinian armed factions were behind the attack.

Biden also stated that the US would give Israel “what it needed to defend itself.”

“I wanted the people of Israel – the people of the world – to know where the United States stands,” he added.

Netanyahu thanked Biden for his visit and his support. “I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always,” he said.

During his visit, Biden will meet emergency workers who responded to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on 7 October. The US President will also meet Israeli families who have lost members or have members being held hostage by Hamas.

Following his visit to Israel, Biden was scheduled to travel to Amman, Jordan for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi, and Jordanian King Abdullah II. However, Jordan canceled the meeting following the hospital bombing and described it as “a heinous war crime.”

Since the beginning of the conflict, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has been conducting back and forth meetings with Arab and Israeli leadership, to develop a plan on how aid can enter Gaza. Nevertheless, Blinken has also stressed full US support for a forceful response to Hamas’ attack.

Egypt is scheduled to host an international peace summit on Saturday, 21 October, to discuss the developments and future of the situation in Palestine. So far, the summit is expected to be attended by the Secretary General of the United Nations, France, the US, and 16 more countries.

The Conflict So Far

On 7 October, Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza on Israel, taking Israel’s military and intelligence establishment by surprise and resulting in significant urban combat on its streets for the first time in decades. Following these events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is at war, and Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Israel Katz announced that Israel will cut off power to the Gaza Strip.

There have been civilian casualties on both sides, and Palestinian militant groups claim to be holding more than 130 Israeli captives.

Since Hamas’ attack, Israel has conducted over 1,000 airstrikes in Gaza, displacing and killing thousands, and causing significant damage to homes and infrastructure.

More than 3,300 Palestinians have been killed as of Wednesday, 18 October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since the start of the conflict.

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