Biden affirms support for Israel, calls for two-state solution

President Joe Biden on Wednesday told reporters that Israel had the right and “the responsibility” to defend itself against its enemies. At the same time, the president called for a “two-state” solution to the conflict and condemned recent attacks on Palestinians carried out by residents of Israeli West Bank settlements. Those attacks came in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel by members of the terrorist group Hamas, resulting in the slaughter of roughly 1,400 Israelis. In the war that has carried on since then, the Hamas-run health agency in Gaza says over 6,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. The United States has sent military supplies and advisers to aid Israel in its fight against Hamas.

What happens next in the Israel-Hamas war? The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel has delayed its planned ground invasion of Gaza, partially to allow the U.S. to bolster air defenses for American troops in the Middle East. The delay would also allow hostage negotiations and humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Humanitarian trucks began trickling into Gaza over the weekend.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s history of the Palestinian-Israeli violence in WORLD Magazine.