"Biden Focuses on Resolving Complex Situation Over Diplomatic Achievements in Israel"

Meeting with Netanyahu on the 18th... Quad Summit Canceled
"Immediate Hostage Negotiation Agreement Difficult"

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is visiting Israel amid a direct confrontation with the Palestinian armed group Hamas, is expected to focus on resolving the complex local situation rather than securing clear diplomatic achievements, multiple sources cited by CNN and others reported on the 18th (local time).

According to reports, President Biden arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, on the morning of the day and is scheduled to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli government officials.

On the 17th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, to head to Israel.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The White House stated that during this meeting, President Biden will inquire about Israel's plans and objectives for the coming days and weeks regarding the war, saying he will "ask some tough questions." During his visit, President Biden is also expected to meet with victims of Hamas's attacks on Israel and families of hostages, as well as deliver a public speech.

Since Hamas's airstrikes on Israel on the 7th, the Middle East has been on the brink of a series of escalating crises. Israel, retaliating, has mobilized 300,000 reservists and announced plans to deploy ground forces. In the war zone of the Gaza Strip, rockets have struck hospitals causing explosions, raising humanitarian concerns.

The world is closely watching what diplomatic outcomes President Biden's sudden visit to Israel might achieve.

However, the White House is currently taking a cautious stance. The day before Biden's departure to Israel, a rocket struck a civilian hospital in the Gaza Strip causing an explosion, leading to the cancellation of the originally planned four-party summit involving the U.S., Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine. The plan was to reaffirm U.S. support in Israel and then move to Amman, Jordan, to request efforts to prevent escalation from the three countries' leaders, but this plan fell through.

Accordingly, U.S. media outlets, citing sources, report that the White House is adjusting President Biden's role toward understanding and coordinating the delicate and complex local circumstances rather than producing publicly shareable diplomatic achievements. CNN interpreted this as "a clear attempt by the White House to manage expectations after the key schedule of the Middle East visit disappeared at the last minute."

Therefore, sources say the current atmosphere makes it difficult to expect immediate hostage negotiations or the release of American hostages held by Hamas solely from President Biden's Middle East visit.

Although there was a sudden change in schedule just before President Biden boarded Air Force One, he boarded the plane as planned. The White House considered incidents like the hospital explosion as risk factors for Biden's trip but judged that visiting Israel directly could yield greater benefits than the risks.

In particular, multiple sources said President Biden views resolving the situation where civilians cannot obtain medicine, food, and drinking water locally as one of the main goals of this visit and is interested in preparing a humanitarian plan for the Gaza Strip.

The Biden administration currently has no plans to deploy U.S. troops to the combat zone but is reported to have placed a force of about 2,000 personnel on standby to provide advisory and medical support to Israel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.