U.S. President Joe Biden left Israel on Wednesday after a visit that lasted less than eight hours. He held a press conference in Tel Aviv, where he stated that he "came to Israel with one message: you are not alone," noting that he had reviewed U.S. intelligence supporting the Israeli narrative regarding the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. In response to a question from a journalist about why he was confident that Israel was not responsible for the bombing and attributed the blame to another party, Biden replied, "the information presented to me by the Department of Defense."
Biden announced "an additional $100 million in U.S. funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank," considering that "Israel agreed to allow aid into Gaza as soon as possible." He stated, "I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the situation on the ground, security assistance and humanitarian needs, and information on unaccounted Americans. I asked tough questions as a friend of Israel. We will continue to deter any actor wanting to widen this conflict."
Biden confirmed that "Washington will provide Israel with everything it needs to defend itself as it wages war against Hamas." Upon arriving in Israel, he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stated that Hamas is worse than ISIS after it killed Israeli civilians in a surprise attack on October 7. He added that he felt "sadness and anger" over the explosion at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, which Hamas claimed killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians, but Biden said that "the other side" appeared to be responsible for it, referring to Palestinian factions. He noted that "31 Americans were among more than 1,300 Israelis killed in the Hamas attack."
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed U.S. President Joe Biden, saying that "Israel will try to avoid civilian casualties in its war on Gaza," which he described as difficult due to Hamas's tactics. In televised statements, he noted that "this will be a different kind of war because Hamas is a different type of enemy." Netanyahu added, "As we continue this war, Israel will do everything in its power to keep civilians out of harm's way."
Netanyahu thanked Biden for "his unconditional support" for Israel in the Gaza war, stating that the Hamas attack killed 1,400 Israelis and clarified that "on October 7, Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis, possibly more." He called on countries to stand alongside Israel as it wages what he described as a war "between the forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism."
A Reuters correspondent reported on board Air Force One that President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday at the beginning of a visit to show solidarity and discuss the escalating war in Gaza. Biden descended from the plane amid a large security presence and embraced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on the tarmac. Herzog’s office quoted him as saying to Biden: "Welcome, Mr. President. God bless you for protecting Israel."
