Adedokun Waliyu 
United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a $100 million humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank. In an address during his brief visit to Israel’s Tel Aviv, Biden said that the people of Gaza need food, water, medicine and shelter.
He also said that he has urged the Israeli cabinet to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
Announcing the $100 million aid to Gaza and the West Bank on X, US President Biden wrote, “This money will support over 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians. And we will have mechanisms in place so this aid reaches those in need – not Hamas or terrorist groups.”
Reiterating his stance on the US supporting Israel in the conflict with Hamas, Biden said, “My message to any state or any other hostile actor thinking about attacking Israel remains the same as it was a week ago – Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.”
Drawing comparisons to the attack on Israel by Hamas to the 9/11 twin tower attacks in the US, Biden said, “We have seen it described as Israel’s 9/11. But for a nation the size of Israel, it was like fifteen 9/11s.”
However, he also warned Israelis they should not give into their “rage” after the attack and follow the law of war.
“You are a Jewish state, but you’re also a democracy,” Biden said after meeting Israeli leaders. “Like the United States, you don’t live by the rule of law… You can’t give up what makes you who you are.”
Biden stressed that the vast majority of Palestinians were not affiliated with Hamas.
Biden’s announcement about humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US and Israel had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefiting Hamas.
Blinken made the announcement after 9 hours of negotiations with Netanyahu that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday.
