Israel, two more US ships move. The background to Joe Biden’s visit

The United States’ intervention in the Middle East crisis is increasing in intensity. American President Joe Biden will be in Israel tomorrow to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and will later travel to Jordan, where he will meet Abu Mazen. But the US military presence in the region’s nearby waters is also increasing. Two other American warships are heading towards the coast of Israel, CNN reports, citing some informed sources. That would be the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship currently in the Gulf of Oman, and the USS Carter Hall. The two boats have been operating in the Middle East since August to discourage possible Iranian aggression in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Their approach follows that of two other American warships in the days immediately following the Hamas attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Biden will remain in Israel during his visit tomorrow for approximately 5 hours. This was reported by Israeli TV channel 12. The subsequent visit to Amman for a meeting with King Abdallah II was also confirmed. Finally, a summit with the president of the ANP, Abu Mazen, and the Egyptian president, Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. The news had been awaited for hours by the Israeli press, but the official announcement of Joe Biden’s mission to Israel, a very strong sign of Washington’s support for the response to the terrible Hamas attacks, only arrived during the night.

In fact, the White House waited for Netanyahu’s commitment to arrive for the package of humanitarian measures with which Antony Blinken returned to Israel yesterday, after his visit to the countries in the region. An agreement, reconstructs the Washington Post today, which arrived after a marathon 7 and a half hour negotiations during which American and Israeli diplomats were in separate rooms and approved documents and proposals. At the heart of the negotiations is the issue of the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which has been trapped for days in the total siege declared by the Israelis that prevents the entry of food, medicine, fuel and, therefore, energy, and the creation of safe areas for Palestinian civilians, State Department sources explain. It was only when Blinken received assurances of a deal that the US president’s mission to Israel was announced by Washington, which comes as we await the announced start of the ground operation in Gaza. According to many observers, the first effect of Biden’s visit to the region will be to postpone Israel’s possible ground military intervention in the Gaza Strip.