US President Joe Biden’s boots on the ground in Israel
Joe Biden will make a high-risk dash to Israel on Wednesday (AEDT) to declare full American backing for a ground offensive against Hamas.
Joe Biden will make a high-risk dash to Israel on Wednesday (AEDT) to declare full American backing for a ground offensive against Hamas in the face of growing threats by Iran to trigger a war that would engulf the Middle East.
The meeting between the US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes at a precarious time for the region, with Iran stepping up its attacks on Israel through its terror-proxy Hezbollah and a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Mr Biden will also use the visit to urge Israel to do everything possible to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza, which are already causing increasing concern internationally, especially in the Arab world.
The President’s visit is a powerful declaration of support for Israel at a critical time but it risks alienating Arab nations who are worried about the situation in Gaza.
Israeli forces are expected to launch a massive ground offensive into Gaza this week to destroy Hamas after its militants killed more than 1400 Israelis in a cold blooded terror attack on October 7. For the past 10 days Israel has bombarded Gaza ahead of the ground offensive, killing at least 2778 Palestinians.
The Albanese government revealed it knew of at least 45 Australians trapped in the Gaza Strip looking to get out of the war-torn territory.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said it would be difficult to get them out as the area was “volatile and changeable”.
“Their situation is obviously extremely difficult … We are doing what we can in very challenging circumstances,” Mr Marles said on Monday.
Fears for Australians in Gaza came as a series of repatriation flights began, taking dozens of Australian-Israelis back to Sydney. The flights left Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning (AEDT) and the first of the planes landed back at Sydney airport in the evening.
In parliament, Labor senator Fatima Payman attacked the “killing of innocent civilians in Palestine” saying Israel’s right to defend itself cannot come at the cost of the “annihilation of Palestinian civilians”.
In the most forceful contribution by an ALP member of federal parliament thus far, the West Australian senator called for an “immediate ceasefire” to come into effect amid concern Israeli missiles would strike residential dwellings in Palestine.
“The price tag of Israel’s right to defend itself cannot be the destruction of Palestine ... Israel’s right to defend its civilians cannot equate to the annihilation of Palestinian civilians,” Senator Payman told parliament.
Mr Biden’s visit is aimed at deterring Iran from persuading the heavily armed Hezbollah from launching a full-scale attack on Israel in the country’s north at a time when Tel Aviv is preparing for a major military assault on Hamas in Gaza.
Such a move would force Israel to fight a war on two fronts and catapult Iran into the conflict.
The US has warned Iran through diplomatic intermediaries not to enter the conflict and has sent the message that the US does not want a war with Tehran.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian warned that unless Israel stopped its bombing of the Gaza Strip, “other multiple fronts” would open against it and that there could be “pre-emptive action”.
“Time is running out very fast. If the war crimes against the Palestinians are not immediately stopped other multiple fronts will open and this is inevitable,” Mr Abdollahian said.
His comments came as Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah exchanged fire on Israel’s northern border, with the Israeli air force saying it had hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the President’s visit would “reaffirm the United States solidarity with Israel” and show an “iron-clad commitment to its security”.
“He is coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and for the world,” Mr Blinken said.
Mr Biden will also seek Israeli support for urgent moves to improve the dire living conditions in Gaza caused by Israel’s cutting of food, power and water to the territory.
Mr Blinken said Mr Biden would be briefed by Israeli officials on their war aims and strategy, and would hear how they intended to conduct operations “in a way that minimises civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas”.
Mr Biden’s visit to Israel is part of a robust US diplomatic campaign to try to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from becoming a regional conflict.
The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the region in response to the crisis and has ordered a rapid-response force of about 2000 Marines and sailors to the eastern Mediterranean to help evacuate Americans.
Mr Biden will also visit Jordan where he will meet King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr el-Sissi has expressed growing concern about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, saying the operation had exceeded “the right of self-defence” and had turned into “a collective punishment”.
Mr Blinken has just finished a six-nation trip around the region during which every Arab leader has called on the US to do something to fix the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Israel has been widely criticised for cutting off water supplies to Gaza with the World Health Organisation saying Israel was putting lives in danger in hospitals that were running out of water.
“Gaza is running out of water and Gaza is running out of life,” said Philippe Lazzarini, chief of the UN agency for Palestinians.
Negotiations were continuing to gain agreement to briefly reopen Egypt’s border with Gaza to let water, fuel and food into Gaza while also allowing foreign nationals to leave the besieged territory.
The Australian government has said at least 45 Australians remain in Gaza and has urged them to leave the territory as soon as the border with Egypt is reopened.
Additional reporting: Joanna Panagopoulos, Jess Malcolm
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