Biden to visit Israel Wednesday in show of support amid Hamas conflict

President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for that country as it wages an ongoing conflict with terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the visit on Monday after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Politico reported. 

Biden's trip comes as Israel prepares for a possible ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which its has subjected to bombardment for more than a week in the aftermath of a major Hamas raid. The Oct. 7 incursion saw terrorists storm out of the coastal region and seize a series of Israeli border towns. The terrorists inflicted considerable civilian casualties and seized 199 hostages.

The Israeli counterstrikes have attracted some international scrutiny amid concerns over the likelihood of causing civilian deaths by targeted the densely populated area. Foreign governments have sharply criticized the Israeli strikes. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, for instance, went so far as to call the attacks on Gaza a "genocide" and accused Israel of turning the strip into a "concentration camp."

The Biden administration, for its part, has largely offered support to Israel and reports emerged on Monday that the Pentagon had selected roughly 2,000 troops to provide aid in the event of Israeli ground actions in Gaza. U.S. personnel are not expected to serve in combat roles.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.