Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain landed in Israel Thursday to meet with the country’s top leaders and build on President Biden’s progress in securing a deal for aid for the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Sunak will press for a swift opening of a humanitarian aid route in Gaza and for British citizens trapped there to be able to leave, his office said. He was also set to travel to other countries in the region, though it remained unclear which leaders he would meet with.
Mr. Biden used his trip to Tel Aviv Wednesday to express firm support for Israel’s war against Hamas but also repeatedly urged Israelis to take care not to harm civilians in Gaza. Mr. Biden said Wednesday that he had secured a commitment from Israel’s government to allow some food, water and medicine into Gaza through Egypt and announced $100 million in aid to help civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
An aid deal would help ease the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, but previous reports of imminent agreements have failed to bring concrete results over the past week.
The president is scheduled to give a prime time address from the Oval Office on Thursday about the war and is expected to request $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other crises from Congress by the end of the week. The decision to link aid for Ukraine to aid for Israel reflects the urgency of both wars — and a calculation about Republican support.
Mr. Biden said Egypt would allow 20 aid trucks into Gaza, though the timing of the delivery remained unclear. Israel agreed to it on the condition that the resources would not be intercepted by Hamas, which runs the enclave, NY Times reports.
