Biden's visit to Israel is to show that the US stands 'unequivocally' with Israel says James O'Brien caller
18 October 2023, 15:58 | Updated: 18 October 2023, 16:01
In a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president said on Wednesday that Washington would provide Israel with everything it needed to defend itself.
President Biden said Hamas was worse than Islamic State for its killings of Israeli civilians in the surprise attack on 7 October which the president characterised as “slaughter”.
He said Hamas “committed evils and atrocities that make Isis somewhat more rational”.
Caller Andy spoke to James O'Brien regarding the US presidents visit to Israel, asserting it is to show that the US stands "unequivocally" with Israel.
Continuing, Andy said: "I think there's two reasons why he chose to go to Israel.
"The first was before the bombing last night was probably to secure some kind of humanitarian deal between Israel and Palestine and to get the border crossing open with Egypt."
Read more: Thousands take to streets across Middle East after hundreds killed in Gaza hospital air strike
Andy added: "And obviously, after what happened last night, more importantly now is to show the world, especially Iran, that the U.S. stands unequivocally behind Israel."
In a join conference with the Israeli Prime Minister, Joe Biden said he was “sad and outraged” by the explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, which Hamas said killed hundreds of people.
President Biden told the Israeli PM: “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.
"But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got to overcome a lot of things."
Caller Andy told James that he believed the only way Biden's trip would be seen as a "success" is "if he sees the Egyptian president and gets that border crossing open".
Concluding, Andy asserted: "If he can get the border crossing open and get humanitarian relief in, I would assume that would be a sign of success."
Benjamin Netanyahu told the joint conference with the US leader, that at least 1,400 Israelis, had been murdered during the Hamas attack, and thanked the US for their "support and steadfast commitment to provide us with the tools we need to defend ourselves".
On Wednesday morning, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari presented what the Israel claimed is evidence that the explosion at the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was caused by a misfiring rocket from inside Gaza launched by Islamic Jihad.
He added that a propellant from the rocket had ignited and caused the explosion, and that imagery from the site showed it was impossible to have been caused by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.