President Joe Biden cautioned Israel not to repeat the errors made by the United States during the events of 9/11. Israel regards the recent attack by Hamas as its own 9/11 moment, while Hamas refers to it as the Al Aqsa Flood.
Biden drew a parallel line between the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel and the tragic events of September 2001 in the United States, where nearly 3,000 people lost their lives. This comparison was made to highlight the severity of the situation and express that many Americans share this understanding.
Biden emphasized the need for justice in response to the recent events, stating that it’s impossible not to demand justice when witnessing the situation. He cautioned against allowing overwhelming anger to consume one’s actions.
During the U.S. President’s visit to Israel, it followed reports of a significant explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital where hundreds of people were reportedly killed. Responsibility for the blast was disputed. Hamas promptly attributed it to an Israeli airstrike, but Israel denied involvement and presented a wealth of video, audio, and other information indicating that the explosion resulted from a misfire of a missile by Islamic Jihad, one more militant group that was operating in Gaza. However, Islamic Jihad rejected this claim.
Previously, President Biden referenced data from the Pentagon, suggesting that it was unlikely to be an Israeli military strike. He conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting, “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.” However, he acknowledged that there were uncertainties about the cause of the blast, which subsequently led to protests across the Middle East.
Biden also announced that Israel has agreed to permit the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza from Egypt. This decision came after Israel had previously halted the delivery of food, fuel, and water to the Gaza Strip in response to a deadly attack by Hamas, resulting in the loss of nearly 1,400 Israeli lives.
President Biden made a statement that, “Israel has agreed to permit the movement of life-sustaining humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza and he guaranteed that inspections will be made to ensure that the aid would reach the civilians rather than Hamas. The United States is actively collaborating with partners to expedite the movement of trucks across the border.”
In addition to this, Biden pledged an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank. The Israel-Hamas conflict, which commenced on October 7, has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and over 12,000 injured in the past 11 days, while more than 1,400 individuals in Israel have lost their lives. At least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, as confirmed by Israel.
