Biden made progress on providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, despite a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital that derailed part of his trip
By Nicole Gaudiano and Amie Parnes
President Joe Biden made a historic trip to Israel Wednesday to “stand in solidarity” with the United States’ closest Middle East ally in the wake of the terrorist attack by Hamas and to address “dire humanitarian needs” of the Palestinians.
But an explosion that killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza the day before Biden’s visit led to the cancellation of the president’s planned summit with the leaders of Jordan, Palestine and Egypt, further complicating his mission.
He still made strides on the humanitarian aid front, while announcing he intends to send an “unprecedented” assistance package to Congress this week.
Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli cabinet, and Israeli President Issac Herzog, as well as first responders, survivors and family members of victims of the Hamas attack during his whirlwind visit lasting less than 24 hours.
Here is what Biden did – and did not – accomplish during his trip:
Solidarity with Israel, but with caution
Biden’s main objective in traveling to Israel was to demonstrate ironclad support for the nation on the heels of the deadly terrorist attacks. The president seemed to deliver on that from the very start of his speech on Wednesday.
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“I come to Israel with a single message: You’re not alone,” Biden said, standing before American and Israeli flags. “As long as the United States stands, and we will stand forever, we will not let you ever be alone.”
The president, serving as the consoler-in-chief for the nation in mourning, reflected on Oct. 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust, saying it “brought to the surface painful memories and scars.”
The most powerful words from Biden inarguably came at the end of his speech, when he invoked a powerful solidarity expression to those of the Jewish faith: Am Yisrael Chai.
“The people of Israel live.” Biden said, translating it to English.
But as Biden declared “justice must be done,” he also cautioned not to be “consumed” by rage, citing the U.S. experience after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“While we saw justice and got justice, we also made mistakes,” he said.
He reiterated, “The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas.”
$100 million on the way; larger aid request TBD
Biden made two major announcements on aid to the region: The U.S. will send $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank and the White House will request an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel’s defense from Congress.
The humanitarian aid will help support more than 1 million displaced and conflict-affected civilians with clean water, food, hygiene support, medical care, and other essential needs, according to the White House. Biden can make that commitment, using existing funds, according to the White House.
On his way back from Israel, Biden told reporters aboard Air Force One that Egypt will allow up to 20 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The broader aid package Biden plans to submit to Congress may be a bigger challenge, given the leader-less state of the House of Representatives. Legislation will continue to be on hold until Republicans are able to settle on a House speaker. The White House is reportedly considering asking for an additional $100 billion in funding to aid Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, as well as to increase border security.
Asking as a friend helps
Biden’s full embrace of Israel has given him “credibility” in terms of dealing with Israel’s leaders, said Mark Mellman, president and CEO of the Democratic Majority for Israel.
One benefit from that posture came Wednesday, when the Israeli cabinet granted Biden’s request to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
“People of Gaza need food, water, medicine, shelter,” Biden said.
Biden said the aid will be provided based on the understanding that there will be inspections and that the aid should go to civilians, not Hamas.
“Israel agreed the humanitarian assistance can begin to move from Egypt to Gaza,” he said.
A powerful endorsement
Hamas blamed the Gaza hospital explosion on an Israeli air strike on Tuesday, but Israel forcefully pushed back, saying a failed rocket launch from the Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based terrorist group, was responsible.
But the explosion caused immediate finger-pointing, and protestors quickly took to the streets before any hard evidence of who was to blame. It also caused the cancellation of a high-stakes meeting in Jordan as Biden prepared to leave the White House for the visit. It was the type of incident the U.S. has been trying to prevent because it could potentially lead to a wider conflict in the region.
Biden gave the Israelis’ version of the story his endorsement during his trip. He said he based his determination on “the data I was shown by my Defense Department,” but he added that many people aren’t sure. “We’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” he said.
“The United States unequivocally stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict,” Biden said later Wednesday. “And I grieve, I truly grieve for the families who were killed or wounded by this tragedy.”
White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson also said Wednesday that the current U.S. assessment was that Israel was "not responsible" for the hospital explosion.
More warnings as violence spreads
Biden is seeking to avoid a wider escalation of the conflict. To those who want to take advantage of the situation, he has had a simple message he has repeated since the Oct. 7th attacks: “Don’t.”
Biden reiterated that message on Wednesday and the State Department warned Americans against traveling to Lebanon, signaling growing concerns of spreading violence.
The message came as protests erupted in Beirut on Wednesday – including outside the American embassy – as Iran-backed Hezbollah called for a “day of unprecedented anger” as a rebuke to Biden’s visit. The protests follow days of increased tension between Israel and Hezbollah, which has fired missiles and rockets at Israeli troops along the border.
The White House has been reportedly considering using military force if Hezbollah jumps into the war by attacking Israeli forces. And if the situation escalates, it would place the US firmly in the center of the war.
Rebecca Morin contributed.