Biden's High-Stakes Visit to Israel: Navigating a Diplomatic Challenge

President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a highly challenging diplomatic visit, amid the ongoing violence following Hamas attacks and Israel's response. His arrival in Tel Aviv during wartime signifies his strongest public display of support for Israel since the October 7th Hamas attacks, which resulted in the loss of 1,400 Israeli lives, including dozens of Americans. Additionally, there are American and Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, while the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reported that the death toll has reached at least 3,000 since the conflict started.

Bidens arrival in Tel Aviv was swiftly followed by a devastating explosion at Gaza City's Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Palestinian officials have attributed the explosion to Israel and claim that hundreds have tragically lost their lives. Israel has denied any involvement and instead pointed to a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

This hospital explosion led to a last-minute rearrangement of Biden's plans for the trip as he boarded Air Force One. The president had originally intended to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss a humanitarian response during the Jordan leg of the visit. However, this summit and the Jordan leg of the trip were canceled. The White House explained that Abbas had declared a period of mourning, which prompted the postponement.

Israel has shared gathered intelligence related to the deadly explosion with the US, according to an Israeli official and another familiar source. The US is currently analyzing this intelligence, and administration officials have relayed this information to some congressional lawmakers. The explosion prompted urgent briefings by the president's top national security advisers and a phone conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is currently in the Middle East, to assess the available intelligence. However, no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding the party responsible for the blast. CNN has learned that the president has instructed his team to continue evaluating the information at hand.

The explosion and subsequent finger-pointing will cast a shadow over Biden's meetings in Israel, where he is scheduled to meet directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-ranking officials. Biden's presence, as he places great importance on personal diplomacy, is intended to demonstrate solidarity with the United States' closest allies and discourage any rogue actions in the region that could result in a second front in the conflict.

The president is striving to strike a delicate balance by backing Israel while also preventing the violence from escalating into a larger-scale military confrontation. The recent hospital explosion has further complicated this task. He, along with other US government representatives, has been cautioning other players in the region, particularly Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, against escalating the conflict.

According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Biden will initially have a focused one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu. This meeting will later expand to involve additional American officials and the Israeli War Cabinet.

During those meetings, Kirby stated that Biden would gain an understanding from the Israelis regarding the current situation and, more importantly, their goals, strategies, and future plans. Biden intends to pose challenging inquiries not in an antagonistic manner but rather from the perspective of a genuine and devoted friend of Israel.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Biden's main priority will be handling a complex situation rather than focusing on achieving specific outcomes. This suggests that the White House is intentionally trying to temper expectations after the cancellation of the Jordan leg of the trip.

Although the potential for violence, such as the hospital explosion, was always acknowledged, the president's team ultimately determined that the benefits of the trip outweighed such risks. Several sources informed CNN that the president's top advisers did not seriously consider cancelling the Israel portion of the trip on Tuesday.

Israel readies its next steps

The world will closely observe the intense diplomacy taking place on the ground as Israel formulates its most recent response to the attacks by Hamas. Although Biden refrained from explicitly urging the Israeli government to exercise restraint immediately after the attack, he did caution them against occupying Gaza during his interview with CBS News "60 Minutes" which was aired on Sunday.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, stated during an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins that Israel has no intention of occupying Gaza. Despite the escalating humanitarian crisis within the Palestinian enclave, Israel continues to indicate its readiness for a ground invasion. President Biden has emphasized the importance of safeguarding civilians and the United States is actively addressing shortages of essential supplies such as food, water, and gas. Additionally, President Biden highlighted the necessity of establishing a humanitarian corridor to aid individuals caught in the midst of the conflict, expressing confidence that Israel will adhere to the principles of warfare.

"I have full confidence that Israel will adhere to the guidelines and principles of warfare," Biden stated during the interview. "Democratic institutions and countries have certain standards to abide by. Therefore, I am confident that innocent individuals in Gaza will have access to essential resources such as medicine, food, and water."

According to several sources familiar with the situation, American officials are urging for comprehensive humanitarian plans for Gaza to be fully approved and put into action prior to the beginning of the invasion. These sources described this task as one of Biden's primary objectives during his visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

"We advocate for a sustained flow of humanitarian assistance, recognizing that it is not a one-time occurrence. Our objective is to ensure that the people of Gaza have access to vital resources such as food, water, electricity, and medicine throughout the ongoing conflict. Therefore, he will passionately advocate for this cause," he stated.

While many Americans empathize deeply with Israelis in light of the attacks, a CNN poll revealed that Biden is also under political pressure domestically regarding his response and the level of support he extends to Netanyahu's government. The American public is divided on whether the Israeli government's actions in response to the attacks are fully justified, with only 38% of Democrats in agreement, as per the CNN poll.

Biden deeply affected by the conflict

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At present, the president and other officials have affirmed that the United States currently does not intend to deploy American soldiers. However, numerous defense officials have disclosed that approximately 2,000 US troops are making arrangements for a potential mission in Israel, providing assistance in areas such as medical aid and logistical support.

The fact that Biden has promptly decided to visit Israel following the Hamas attack reflects the profound impact the violence in the region has had on him.

Advisers to the president informed CNN that in the aftermath of the attack, it was a highly emotional period for him. He had to confront the second significant eruption of a war during his presidency, while being bombarded with distressing visuals and accounts of Hamas' reprehensible actions.

During his visit, Biden will have meetings with families who have been affected by the recent violence, including those who have lost their loved ones in Israel. Additionally, there will be interactions with families who are still uncertain about the fate of their loved ones, as stated by Kirby. Certain family members have loved ones who are currently being held as hostages, although it remains unclear if they are Americans.

However, despite ongoing discussions with Israel and other partners, sources have downplayed the expectation that the visit would immediately lead to a refugee agreement or the release of American hostages held by Hamas. The president has been outspoken throughout the week, expressing his strong condemnation of Hamas actions and often drawing comparisons between the violence and the atrocities faced by European Jews during the Holocaust. Biden has personally visited the Dachau concentration camp with his family to gain an understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust, and he emphasized in his "60 Minutes" interview the significance of global awareness regarding the historical persecution of the Jewish community.

According to Biden, the Jewish community has endured centuries of abuse, prejudice, and attempts to eradicate them. He emphasized the importance of decency, respect, and honor, stating that such mistreatment is fundamentally wrong and goes against his religious and personal values taught by his father.

The president's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will be closely observed, as their longstanding history becomes significant amidst recent tensions due to Netanyahu's right-wing government and proposed changes to the judicial system. An official stated that Biden claims to have a deep understanding of Netanyahu, and in the past, he has tactfully applied pressure on the Israeli leader to prevent the escalation of conflicts with the Palestinians.

This marks the president's second visit to a war-torn nation this year, with a previous unexpected trip to Kyiv in February. Although Biden visited Iraq and Afghanistan during his tenure as vice president, his visits to Israel and Ukraine presented a distinctive security challenge due to less US military presence in the region.

Reporting by CNN's Oren Liebermann, Zachary Cohen, Phil Mattingly, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler, and Alex Marquardt.