US President will visit Israel on October 18
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Reuters news agency, US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on October 18 to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself. This is the information given by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on October 17.
Mr. Blinken said, after lengthy talks with Mr. Netanyahu, that Mr. Biden would reaffirm solidarity with Israel, which many believe is poised to launch a ground offensive in Gaza.
Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas movement that rules Gaza after its militants crossed into Israel on October 7, killing 1,300 people, mostly civilians, in what is considered the bloodiest day in the country's 75-year history.
Mr. Biden will make clear that “Israel has the right and indeed the obligation to protect its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Mr. Blinken told reporters after hours of talks with Israel’s wartime cabinet in Tel Aviv. During those talks, he was forced to take shelter in a bunker for five minutes when sirens sounded.
The US diplomat said Israel would brief Mr Biden on its war aims and strategy and how to conduct operations "in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and allows humanitarian assistance to reach civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas".
Mr. Blinken revealed that the US and Israel have agreed to develop a plan to allow humanitarian aid from donor countries and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza.
Earlier, Iran's foreign minister said that Israel would not be able to act in Gaza without consequences, warning of a "preemptive move" in the coming hours.
Gaza authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed in Gaza, about a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 injured are in hospitals with severe shortages of supplies.
