President Joe Biden is reportedly “weighing” visiting Israel amid ongoing violence between the country and Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, according to several sources in the Biden Administration.
Biden has expressed interest in visiting Israel in an effort to show the United States’ support for Israel after Hamas launched a surprise attack, leaving more than 1,400 Israelis dead, two U.S. officials told Politico.
The visit to Israel could come as early as this week, the officials said, with one mentioning the Biden Administration was considering a visit to Israel after Biden’s call on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who invited Biden to visit.
Biden is ‘weighing’ a visit to Israel for show of solidarity https://t.co/SpGaE0nKI7
— POLITICO (@politico) October 16, 2023
The U.S. officials noted a trip to Israel may also be impossible as the tensions between Israel and Hamas heighten and Israel moves closer to launching a ground invasion of Gaza.
More than 1,300 people, including 30 Americans, were left dead after Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, in which thousands of rockets were fired and more than 250 Israelis attending a music festival near the Gaza Strip border were left dead.
Netanyahu responded to the attack on Israel by declaring war on Hamas.
The Israeli military has confirmed that 155 people are currently being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, according to The Guardian.
During an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Biden said, “Israel has to respond” to Hamas’ attack and “go after” them.
“Israel is going after a group of people who have engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the Holocaust,” Biden said. “And so I think Israel has to respond. They have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a bunch of cowards. They’re hiding behind the civilians.”
Biden has previously said his administration and Congress are working to put together a $2 billion aid package in supplementary funding in order to support Israel’s fight against Hamas. Additionally, the Pentagon announced that it was sending its largest aircraft carrier to the Middle East as a show of support for Israel.