President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday amid fears of the Israel-Hamas war expanding, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv.
The news comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Biden to the region during a phone call over the weekend. Blinken said the President is making the visit to “reaffirm the United States’s solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security.”
Biden will also hear from the Israelis directly on what they need to safeguard their security, Blinken said. The President will also visit Jordan before returning to the United States.
The President is also expected to meet with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. While in Jordan, Biden will meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“He will certainly reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian’s right to dignity and self-determination,” Kirby said of Biden’s visit. “He’ll discuss again the humanitarian needs of all civilians in Gaza.”
The President will use the trip to mark the strongest sign the United States is supporting Israel while also giving a warning to other countries in the region against escalation.
The trip comes with high-security risks as the President will be putting himself in harm’s way. Blinken was forced to take shelter in a bunker on Monday after air raid sirens went off in Tel Aviv.
Biden was also invited to Egypt to take part in an upcoming international summit that will focus on the future of Palestinians, according to a U.S. official.
“The president very much looks forward to discussing it further when he’s here on Wednesday,” Blinken said.
Biden postponed a planned trip to Colorado Monday, opting to stay at the White House. He received briefings from his national security team and made phone calls to the leaders of Germany, Egypt, and Iraq.
Over 1,400 people in Israel have been killed since Hamas launched its attack on October 7.
