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Biden briefed on Gaza hospital blast but White House does not weigh in on culpability
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal, MJ Lee and Kayla Tausche
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the “the terrible loss of life at a hospital in Gaza,” the White House said Tuesday, but officials did not weigh in on what the Biden administration believes happened or who is responsible.
“Following reports of the terrible loss of life at a hospital in Gaza, President Biden was briefed by his national security team, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer,” the White House said in a statement to the press pool. “The President spoke by phone with Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who is still in the region.”
Biden also spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “continues to receive regular updates,” the White House said.
There are varying reports on the number of casualties in the hospital blast in Gaza and who is responsible. Gaza officials blame Israel for the hospital blast, while the Israel Defense Forces said it was an Islamic Jihad rocket
Hours before Biden was expected to fly to Israel for an extraordinary visit to the war-torn region, a massive blast hit a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds of people.
There was immediate consequence for the president’s upcoming trip, even before Biden had left the White House: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas pulled out of his meeting with Biden, which had been set to take place in Jordan along with other regional leaders.
The moment vividly captured precisely how much is at stake for Biden as he heads to the Middle East.
US officials had said they had made painstaking efforts to ensure Biden’s security before greenlighting the trip. Biden was also set to emphasize to his Israeli counterpart and others the importance of minimizing civilian casualties in the conflict.
US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday as he seeks to demonstrate staunch support for the country while also pressing for ways to ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza. Follow here for the latest.
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