President Biden said Friday he expects to see truckloads of aid cross into the Gaza Strip from Egypt within two days.
Mr. Biden has shown solidarity with Israel in its response to attacks by Palestinian militants in Hamas. But he is under pressure to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Hamas-controlled Gaza while the Israeli government uses force to root out militants responsible for the raids.
“I got a commitment from the Israelis and the president of Egypt that the crossing will be open. The highway had to be repaved, and it was in very bad shape,” he said. “I believe in the next 24 to 48 hours, the first 20 trucks will come across the border.”
Mr. Biden gave the update in a White House meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who leads the executive branch of the EU, and Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, a strategic body that guides the political direction and priorities of the EU.
They met with Mr. Biden for the second U.S.-EU summit, after an initial sit-down on June 15, 2021, in Belgium.
Like Mr. Biden, European officials are under pressure to balance their support for Israel with recognition of humanitarian needs in Gaza.
“Israel has the right to defend itself. This must be done in line with international humanitarian law,” Mr. Michel said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine also topped Friday’s agenda.
“The events in the Middle East will not distract us from our rock-solid support to Ukraine,” Ms. von der Leyen said. “Putin will ultimately fail. He is running Russia into the ground. These conflicts show democracies must stand together.”
Mr. Biden said the leaders would also discuss the transition toward clean energy and fair trade of steel and aluminum.
“We stood together to support the brave people of Ukraine in the face of Putin’s aggression,” he said of the U.S-European relationship. “And we stood together to tackle economic challenges, established standards to guide our relationship with China, and we’re standing together now to support Israel in the wake of Hamas’ appalling terrorist attack.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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