Biden To Embark On ‘Solidarity Visit’ To Israel; Iran Warns Of ‘Preemptive Action’

New Delhi: Amid growing concern that the Israel-Hamas war could spiral into a regional conflict, US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

Biden will make clear that “Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken told reporters after hours of talks with Israel’s war cabinet in Tel Aviv.

Israel is preparing for a possible ground attack in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to root out the militants responsible for the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust. Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, on the other hand, has warned of “preemptive action” by the resistance axis in the coming hours if Israel advances closer to launching the ground offensive.

Blinken, who reached Tel Aviv on Monday after a whirlwind Middle East tour, further said that the United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organisations to reach civilians in Gaza.” “President will continue to coordinate closely with our Israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas…,” he added.

According to Gaza authorities, over 2,800 people have been killed there, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.

The US president will also travel to Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah II, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Meanwhile, Israel launched strikes overnight on Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon, the Israeli army said in a statement early on Tuesday.