Israel-Hamas war updates: Biden to visit Israel; Blinken announces humanitarian aid plan for Gaza

President Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced, to deliver a strong message of support to a key U.S. ally that has declared war against the terrorist group Hamas after a brutal surprise attack early this month.

Mr. Biden is “coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world,” Blinken said in Israel. 

Blinken also announced a plan to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. “Today, and at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multinational organizations to reach civilians in Gaza,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, Israel’s government denied reports that it had agreed to a cease-fire in at least part of the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian aid in and people with international passports to escape into Egypt, as the Israeli military continued hammering the enclave with missiles.

More than a week after Hamas launched its bloody terror rampage in southern Israel, killing some 1,400 people, wounding roughly 3,500 and capturing almost 200 hostages, Israel was still preparing Monday for a widely expected ground offensive in Gaza. Already, Gaza officials say Israel’s bombardment has killed more than 2,800 people and wounded almost 11,000 others, a majority of them women and children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has vowed to destroy the Palestinian group, and Mr. Biden told CBS News’ 60 Minutes that Israel can and must “go after Hamas.” But he warned that a full occupation of Gaza would be “a big mistake,” and the U.S. has called repeatedly on Israel to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties.

Thirty U.S. citizens are among those killed in the latest flare-up of violence in the heart of the Middle East, and as many as 600 U.S. nationals are thought to be trapped in Gaza. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Sunday that 13 Americans who were in Israel remain unaccounted for.