President Biden is set to address the nation from the Oval Office Thursday night about America’s response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and the war in the region, the White House said.
The address, which is expected to begin at 8 p.m., comes a day after President Biden visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. Biden and Israeli officials discussed the ongoing war, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
Biden has pledged to support Israel, but is expected to announce $100 million humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
“I was very blunt about the need to support getting humanitarian aid to Gaza – get it to Gaza and do it quickly,” Biden told reporters Wednesday on his trip back to Washington, D.C.
Biden said he “got no pushback, virtually none” from Netanyahu.
Israel declared war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and brutally murdering more than one thousand civilians, while taking hundreds of others hostage.
At least 4,200 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 31 Americans. Palestinian health authorities say at least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded.
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More than 30 American citizens have died in Israel and 12 are left unaccounted for.
The White House said the president is also expected to discuss “Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine” during the address Thursday night.
The president, during his address, is expected to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for both Israel and Ukraine.
The funding request, which is expected to be formally rolled out on Friday, is likely to be around $100 billion over the next year. The total figure is expected to include some funding for Taiwan’s defense and for managing the flow of migrants at the southern border with Mexico.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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