President Joe Biden addressed the Israel–Hamas war Friday afternoon, saying the U.S. was partnering with Jordan and other countries to provide “air drops” of aid into Gaza, though he committed another high-profile gaffe in the process by twice referring to the Middle Eastern enclave as Ukraine.
Ahead of a meeting with the prime minister of Italy, Biden announced the counties would “provide airdrops of supplies into Ukraine and seek to open up other avenues into Ukraine,” though he later clarified that the aid was intended for Gaza.
The president has been under intense pressure since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks sparked the conflict, with most overall voters supporting Israel but the Democratic Party split on the issue. He has been trailed by anti-Israel protesters in recent months and faces calls to negotiate a pause in hostilities.
“Innocent people got caught in a terrible war, unable to feed their families, and you saw the response when they tried to get aid,” Biden said inside the Oval Office on Friday. “But we need to do more and the United States will do more and in the coming days.”
He also mentioned the possibility of a “marine corridor” to deliver “large amounts of humanitarian assistance.”
“Aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough now — it’s nowhere nearly enough,” Biden said. “Innocent lives are on the line and children’s lives are on the line.”
Biden sounded an optimistic note about the conflict earlier this week, saying he thought a ceasefire might be negotiated by next Monday.
But he backed off of those comments yesterday, saying “hope springs eternal” but “probably not by Monday.”
A tragedy in northern Gaza that Hamas says left more than 100 people dead is also complicating matters, with Israel and the terrorist group offering competing versions of what happened.