President Biden landed in Israel Wednesday morning as he demonstrated the United States’ commitment to the Middle Eastern country devastated by the Hamas terrorist attack that claimed over 1,400 Israeli lives.
Biden previously said his trip was “to stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack and to consult on next steps.”
“I wanted to be here today for a simple reason. I wanted the people of Israel, the people of the world, to know where the United States stands,” Biden said Wednesday. “I’ve had my great secretary of state here, he’s been here for a lot. But I wanted to personally come, and make that clear.”
Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Biden was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
As Biden stepped off Air Force One, Netanyahu pulled the commander-in-chief into a tight embrace.
Biden’s arrival in Israel was preceded by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who first arrived in the country last Thursday, and has since visited several Middle Eastern leaders as a part of Biden’s plan to show the US’s support for Israel.
He was on the tarmac for less than two minutes before he was quickly moved to a nearby SUV once he greeted the Israeli leaders.
Biden, who was outraged over the explosion at the Gaza City hospital that killed hundreds of people, said Hamas was worse than the Islamic State for its killings of civilians.
“The terrorist group Hamas has slaughtered over 1,300 people. And it’s not hyperbole, they just slaughtered including 31 Americans,” Biden claimed. “And they have taken scores of people hostage, including children.
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
“You said imagine what those children hiding from Hamas are thinking. It’s beyond my comprehension to be able to imagine what they are thinking. They committed evils and atrocities that make ISIS look somewhat more rational.”
The 80-year-old’s trip comes 11 days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Israeli neighborhoods near the Gaza Strip border, killing over 1,400 people, including 30 Americans.
Blinken announced the trip on Monday, saying, “The president will reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security.”
“President Biden will again make clear … that Israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken added.
Biden has denounced the attack, calling it “an act of sheer evil.”
During the trip, Biden was originally scheduled to travel to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II, Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Follow along with The Post’s coverage of Israel’s war with Hamas
The meeting in Amman was canceled after a rocket struck a Gaza hospital, killing and injuring hundreds on Tuesday.
Each side has blamed the other for the attack, with the Israel Defense Forces sharing a video allegedly showing a rocket aimed at Israel misfiring while the hospital was struck.
Biden’s trip also comes as tensions in the US have increased, as groups supporting either side have protested the war in several US cities.
On Tuesday, Manhattan’s Washington Square Park saw 250 to 400 pro-Palestinian protesters clash with a smaller pro-Israel group.
With Post wires
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