Israel-Hamas War: Joe Biden to visit Israel, Israel to continue strikes
President Joe Biden to visit Israel
Antony J. Blinken, USA secretary of the State, on October 16, Monday announced that the President of The United States of America, Joe Biden will visit Israel on October 18, Wednesday.
The secretary said that this visit by the President is critical and important at a time when Israel is at war. Biden will reaffirm the support of USA to Israel to defend and Protect itself. The president will hear what Israel needs in the war as USA is committed to provide assistance to Israel.
Blinken and Netanyahu meet
Apart from this, Biden will also give a strong message to those who want to get involved in the war and escalate it. To prevent this, USA has also deployed two aircraft carriers groups and other military assets near Israel.
The president will also work towards the release of Hostages held by Hamas which also includes American citizens. Joe Biden will also get a brief about the future strategy of Israel. Biden and Netanyahu will also discuss on how civilian causalities can be avoided in the war as well as how humanitarian aid to support civilians in Gaza can be reached to their hands without benefitting Hamas.
Blinken said that USA and Israel have also agreed to develop a plan through which humanitarian aid provided by several countries and institutions can be reach Gaza, without the aid getting into the hands of Hamas, which is also the prime concern for Israel.
The announcement of this visit by Joe Biden has come at a very critical time when Israel is at war for 10 days and its closet ally and partner is standing strong having it’s back. USA have again and again reassured and reaffirmed that it stands with Israel in its fight to counter Hamas, who attacked the sovereignty of Israel. Hamas has been the cause of the death of more than 1,400 people in Israel, and 30 USA nationals. The number of causalities of USA is high and thus USA has even more support for Israel.
Biden and Netanyahu to meet on October 18
Humanitarian aid will reach Gaza after Israel agreed
According to media reports, some 100 trucks, full of humanitarian aid have been waiting at the Egyptian side of the border near Rafah in Gaza. These are waiting to be allowed into Gaza, and were scheduled to be allowed at 9 am on Tuesday. In recent days, certain reports on Rafah crossing to be opened for passage of aid has been proven wrong. Israel have been trying to block the aid by bombing the crossing area, so as to block any kind of aid that may reach the Hands of Hamas. Israel wants to win over Hamas by blocking water, electricity and food to break Hamas by cutting off the necessities.
USA and Israel have agreed to work out plan so that the aid safely reaches innocent civilians.
Humanitarian Aid
Hamas to release captives held on conditions
The militant group Hamas, on October 16, Monday, released a video of Mia Schem who is a French citizen. The girl was being treated by unidentified person in the video. She asked for her return to her family in the video.
Hamas has held more than 200 people as hostages, in which majority of them are Israeli civilians and some are US citizens as well.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari spokesperson of IDF said that Israeli military does not have any recent plans of ceasefire for now, and that he country will continue to fight.
He said that “This is psychological terror by Hamas against the citizens of Israel. We understand that there will be more videos like this. In this video, Hamas tries to present itself as a humanitarian organization while it is in fact a murderous terror group”. He said that it is worth questioning how come a 21 year old girl ended up in the heart of Gaza who went to party in the first place.
America to provide military aid free of condition
The United States have been in close contact with Israel and have assured it's support in the war. John Kirby, chairman of National Security Council of White House, reportedly said that United States will not put up any conditions on the military system that it is providing to Israel to fight the war against Hamas.
Kirby said “They have a right to defend themselves. They have a right to go after this terrorist threat, and we’re going to continue too do everything we can to help them do that.”
Destruction in Gaza
Firing from Lebanon border
Terror group Hezbollah has been continuously causing distraction and disturbance for Israel Defense Forces on the northern border as the terror group has been striking Northern Israel and causing destruction there. As per reports, On October 16, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacking several Israeli military posts from Lebanon.
Reports of the use of anti-tank guided missiles fire, used from Lebanon, targeting Israel have also surfaced. These missiles have been firing at the northern town of Israel, Metula. The attacks have reportedly injured 3 people who are getting treated.
Israel Defence Forces also claimed that it had killed four terrorists who were trying to cross Lebanon and enter Israel’s northern town of Hanita to plant explosives.
Heads of States to visit Israel
French President Macron is scheduled to visit Israel to free hostages held by Hamas. The visit comes after a video of French citizen held hostage by Hamas was released by them.
Apart from Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also set to meet PM Netanyahu today evening.
Destruction in Gaza
Israel will win the war
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff, Israel Defense Forces said that Israel will win the war, because it is on the right side of the war, and because the whole nation is standing together in this war. He said “The IDF will win because it sticks to the mission, [because of] the strength of its spirit and togetherness. The IDF will win because our war is just. The IDF will win thanks to the resilience of the nation, which makes up [the military].
He also said “It will win thanks to its abilities and because we have trained for this task”.
The current situation
IDF has been carrying out intensified strikes at Hamas in Gaza. The IDF said that it struck 200 targets in Gaza strip aiming at Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihaad. Navy Vessels were also used to strike at Gaza.
Israeli bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 2800 Palestinians and have led to more than 2 million people in Gaza leaving their houses.
Since Israel has blocked water, food and electricity supply in the Gaza strip, particularly blocking necessities to bring Hamas down, Gazans have been facing severe challenges. Gaza have run out of clean water as a result to the measures taken by Israel. Gazans have to be depended on untreated highly polluted.
Israel and USA agreed to release water to southern Gaza on Sunday.
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