On Wednesday (11th October), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he would be visiting war-hit Israel to meet the top Israeli leaders, express solidarity, and assess the situation there.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Mathew Miller, a US State Department spokesperson said, “It will be a message of solidarity and support. He, of course, wants to hear from the leaders of Israel, hear from them directly about the situation they’re facing about what they need and how we can best support them.”
Miller added that Blinken will arrive in Israel on Thursday. The State Department spokesperson also informed that following his visit to Israel, Antony Blinken will head to Jordan to meet the officials there.
Taking to X, Antony Blinken announced his Israel visit and posted, “Tomorrow, I will leave for Israel to engage with our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground and to discuss ways we can continue to support them in the fight against these terrorist attacks. Our support for Israel remains unwavering.”
Tomorrow, I will leave for Israel to engage with our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground and to discuss ways we can continue to support them in the fight against these terrorist attacks. Our support for Israel remains unwavering.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 10, 2023
Biden compares Hamas to ISIS
Notably, US President Joe Biden during a White House speech announced his unwavering support to Israel against Hamas terrorists adding that the country will provide additional military aid to Israel. President Biden also equated Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya commonly known as Hamas with ISIL (ISIS). Biden also called Hamas a terrorist organization with a “stated purpose for being is to kill Jews.”
“This is what they mean by human tragedy, an atrocity on an appalling scale,” Biden said. “We’re going to continue to stand united, supporting the people of Israel who are suffering unspeakable losses and opposing the hatred and violence of terrorism,” Biden said.
The US President further announced that the country will be providing additional military assistance including ammunitions and interceptors.
“We’re surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome. We’re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens,” Biden said.
Moreover, Biden said that the US Department of Defense had the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean and bolstered the US’s fighter aircraft presence. Biden added that the US is “ready to move in additional assets as needed.”
Meanwhile, an NBC News report suggests that the Biden administration is contemplating if aid to Israel could be linked to more funding to Ukraine as a strategy to accomplish both spending priorities.
In response to the brutal terrorist attack on Israel that killed over 900 civilians, including 14 American citizens, and wounded thousands, Israel has declared war on Hamas and has been pounding the Gaza Strip with bombs. The US and other NATO nations have declared support for Israel.
Hundreds of Israelis and foreign nationals are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. Hamas has massacred civilians brutally after attacking a music festival, and family homes in Southern Israel. Social media posts have surfaced where Hamas terrorists are seen killing children, women, and the elderly. The exact number of hostages is unknown.
