Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his condolences for the civilian lives lost in the explosion at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, which has been blamed on both Israel and Hamas militants. President Joe Biden has said the US will investigate the incident, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Blinken also discussed US support for the Palestinian people and the need for both sides to reduce tensions and restore calm.
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At least 200-300 people were killed in an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday. Israeli and Palestinian officials have traded accusations over who was responsible for the blast, with Israeli officials saying it was a rocket launched by Islamic Jihad and Palestinian officials blaming an Israeli airstrike. In response, President Joe Biden has directed his national security team to gather information and the UN has called for an independent investigation and for all sides to exercise restraint.
President Joe Biden is set to visit Israel on Wednesday to demonstrate America's commitment to Israel's security, while the planned summit between Biden and Arab leaders in Amman, Jordan, was called off after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas withdrew in protest of the attacks. The U.S. and Israel have agreed to develop a plan to enable humanitarian aid from donor nations to reach the Palestinians in Gaza, in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.
Republican presidential candidates have come out against the U.S. welcoming Palestinian refugees, claiming their culture is incompatible with American values and that they could be terrorists. However, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has not called for raising the number of Palestinians admitted to the U.S., and they remain committed to providing support to refugees entering the U.S., regardless of their nationality or religion. Palestinians may be coming from other parts of the world while they retain their Palestinian citizenship, or they may have been referred as refugees to the U.N. refugee agency by nongovernmental organizations.
President Joe Biden has postponed his planned trip to Jordan and meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Sisi of Egypt, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority due to days of mourning announced by President Abbas. President Biden will still be traveling to Israel on Tuesday night, but the White House has not yet announced a new date for the President's trip to Jordan or the meeting with the three leaders.
The US is working to develop a framework to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken having met with Israel's wartime cabinet for seven hours. The situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with an Israeli airstrike hitting al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, and the UN calling for an immediate ceasefire. The US is hoping to provide food, water, and medicine to those in need, as well as arrange for those who want to leave the region to do so safely.
Key takeaways: Residents of the Gaza Strip are struggling to survive without access to basic necessities. Truckloads of aid have been idling at Egypt’s border…
An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah destroyed a residential neighborhood, leaving a scene of devastation and crowds of people waiting for hours at the Rafah crossing. Emilee Rauschenberger described the scene as "frustrated and exhausted," with no electricity for the rest of the night.