'Priority for me to urgently address humanitarian crisis in Gaza': Biden
'We're making sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself,' says US president
WASHINGTON
US President Joe Biden on Friday reiterated his support for Israel and said that it is “also a priority” for him to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"We're making sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself and respond to these (Hamas) attacks. It's also a priority for me to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," Biden said in an address in Philadelphia.
The US president said he is directing his teams to work in the region, including communicating directly with the governments of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations and the UN.
"We can’t lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas and Hamas’s appalling attacks and they’re suffering as a result," he said.
Gaza has been under intensive bombardment by Israel since the Hamas attack last weekend.
Biden's remarks also came a day after the Israeli military late Thursday night informed the UN "that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours," UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late Thursday.
The order is estimated to be directed at over 1 million Gazans.
“The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded, avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation," Dujarric said.
"We believe it is impossible for such a step to occur without devastating humanitarian consequences," he added.
More than 423,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since Oct. 7, with 270,000 of them having taken refuge in UNRWA facilities amid continued Israeli airstrikes, according to the UN.
The ongoing conflict began when the Palestinian Hamas group launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea and air.
The death toll from the attack has risen to 1,300, with 3,300 injured, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN).
Hamas said it was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.
At least 1,900 Palestinians have been killed during Israeli attacks, including 614 children.
