Gaza hospital strike upends Biden’s high-stakes trip to Israel
By Reuters
US President Joe Biden’s already fraught trip to Israel and Jordan got more complicated after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a strike on a Gaza hospital on Tuesday.
Palestinian authorities say Israel’s military was responsible; Israeli authorities denied involvement in the strike, which occurred during a massive Israeli bombardment of the enclave and killed about 500.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas quickly canceled a planned meeting with Biden after the strike, then Jordan’s King Abdullah canceled the entire summit that was supposed to bring Biden together with the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders.
Biden is expected to leave Washington within hours for the complex diplomatic mission, aimed at showing support for long-time US ally Israel, calming the region and shoring up humanitarian efforts for Gaza.
What he can accomplish in the wake of the hospital strike and conflicting reports about responsibility for it was unclear.
“This sort of murky but horrific event makes diplomacy harder and increases escalation risks,” said Richard Gowan, UN director at International Crisis Group.
“Biden’s visit was meant to underline that the U.S. has a grip on the situation. A tragic incident like this shows how hard it is to keep the war in check.“
Reuters
By Reuters
US President Joe Biden’s already fraught trip to Israel and Jordan got more complicated after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a strike on a Gaza hospital on Tuesday.
Palestinian authorities say Israel’s military was responsible; Israeli authorities denied involvement in the strike, which occurred during a massive Israeli bombardment of the enclave and killed about 500.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas quickly canceled a planned meeting with Biden after the strike, then Jordan’s King Abdullah canceled the entire summit that was supposed to bring Biden together with the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders.
Biden is expected to leave Washington within hours for the complex diplomatic mission, aimed at showing support for long-time US ally Israel, calming the region and shoring up humanitarian efforts for Gaza.
What he can accomplish in the wake of the hospital strike and conflicting reports about responsibility for it was unclear.
“This sort of murky but horrific event makes diplomacy harder and increases escalation risks,” said Richard Gowan, UN director at International Crisis Group.
“Biden’s visit was meant to underline that the U.S. has a grip on the situation. A tragic incident like this shows how hard it is to keep the war in check.“
Reuters
