WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will travel to Israel this week, putting himself in harm’s way to show that he stands squarely with the country as it reels from Hamas’ surprise attack and prepares a ground invasion meant to wipe out the militant group on its border.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the trip — the president’s second foray into an active war zone this year, having traveled to Ukraine in February under the tightest secrecy.
Follow our live coverage here.
Biden is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders during the trip, which may also include a visit to neighboring Egypt. U.S. officials have been discussing with Egypt ways to get humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza caught up in Israel’s siege of the densely populated territory.
The upcoming trip follows an invitation from Netanyahu. The two leaders had spoken five times since Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7 killing 1,400 people in Israel. On Sunday, Biden was also invited to Egypt to take part in an upcoming international summit meeting devoted to the future of Palestinians, according to a U.S. official.
The visit comes with unavoidable perils for the sitting president. Hamas has been launching rockets into Israel. An air raid siren went off as Blinken met with Netanyahu and other Israel officials in Tel Aviv on Monday, forcing them to take shelter in a bunker.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
