President Joe Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days but nothing has been finalised, according to a senior US administration official.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been traveling around the Middle East for talks aimed at preventing the war with Hamas from igniting a broader regional conflict.
Mr Biden has proclaimed his support for Israel and a trip there would be a firm sign of US support during the conflict with Hamas.
We must not lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas’s appalling attacks, and are suffering as a result of them.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 15, 2023
In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Mr Biden warned Israel not to reoccupy Gaza in his strongest public effort to hold them back after the attack that killed more than 1,300 people, including at least 30 US citizens.
“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Mr Biden said.
“Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again.”
“Taking out the extremists… is a necessary requirement,” he added.
Mr Biden and his administration officials have refused to criticise Israel or its bombing campaign that has killed civilians in Gaza.
