US President Joe Biden is expected to land in Israel on Wednesday in show of solidarity with the Jewish state amid their war against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 attack in which more than 1,300 people, including US citizens, were killed. Biden was also scheduled to hold a meeting with Arab leaders in Jordon but it has been called off following the hospital bombing in Gaza.
Biden’s meeting with Arab leaders was aimed at balancing act in view of America’s “full support” to Israel in their war against Hamas and the humanitarian crisis it has caused in Gaza. However, the bombing appears to have ruined the US President’s plans for now.
Nearly 500 people, including children, are feared dead after a hospital in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip was bombed. While Hamas has accused Israel of bombing the hospital, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has blamed Hamas for the deadly attack.
The announcement was made by Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who said that Jordan’s King Abdullah, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have cancelled their meeting with Biden in view of the Gaza hospital attack.
Israel has declared a war against Hamas following its brutal October 7 attack in which more than 1,300 people, including babies, their mothers and fathers, were killed. A pregnant woman was allegedly ripped open and the baby was stabbed by Hamas militants during the attack.
The “animalistic” Hamas attack met with unprecedented Israeli response as IDF launched massive air strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has also announced to launch a full-scale ground, air and sea attack to root out Hamas.
The US has been backing Israel in their war against Hamas and has moved two air craft carriers near the Israeli territory amid fears of the war spiraling into a major regional conflict in the Middle East. His meeting with Arab leaders was also being seen as a balancing act towards ensuring third parties like Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah don’t join Hamas.