Joe Biden arrives in Israel on solidarity visit

AFP

US President Joe Biden was received by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday as he arrived on a solidarity visit on the twelfth day of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

He said he was "sad and outraged" by an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip that left at least 500 dead on Tuesday and blamed the "other side" for the explosion.

Earlier, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the president will push for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza and will ask some "tough questions" about "the situation on the ground". 

He will also meet with the families of hostages held in Gaza.

It comes as Biden's meeting with leaders of Jordan, Egypt and Palestine in Amman on Wednesday was cancelled after a strike on Gaza's Al Ahli Arab Hospital killed more than 500 people.

More from International

  • Iranian President Raisi killed in helicopter accident, state media says

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.

  • Israel intends to broaden Rafah sweep, Defence Minister tells US

    Israel intends to broaden its military operation in Rafah, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told a senior aide to US President Joe Biden, who has warned against major action in the southern Gazan city that may risk mass civilian casualties. Israel describes Rafah, which abuts the Gaza Strip's border with the Egyptian Sinai, as the last stronghold of Hamas Islamists whose governing and combat capabilities it has been trying to dismantle during the more than seven-month-old war. After weeks of public disagreements with Washington over the Rafah planning, Israel on May 6 ordered Pale

  • New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop threats

    Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

  • India votes in fifth phase of elections

    Millions of Indians across 49 constituencies are casting ballots on Monday as the country’s six-week-long election enters its final stages.

  • South Africa's ex-leader Zuma barred from running for parliament

    South Africa's constitutional court ruled on Monday that former president Jacob Zuma was not eligible to run for parliament in this month's election, a decision that was closely watched as it has the potential to affect the outcome of the election.