US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to make clear Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.
Biden will reaffirm solidarity with Israel as it prepares for a ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken said after lengthy talks with Netanyahu.
"On Wednesday, President Biden will visit Israel," Blinken said in Tel Aviv.
"He's coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and for the world."
Blinken said Biden would "reaffirm the United States' solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security."
The president will also "again make clear... that Israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks," he said.
After meeting with Netanyahu, Biden will travel to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
Biden is looking to send the strongest message yet that the US is behind Israel. His Democratic administration has pledged military support, sending US carriers and aid to the region.
Officials have said they would ask Congress for upward of $US2 billion ($A3.2 billion) in additional aid for both Israel and Ukraine, which is fighting Russia’s invasion.
with AP and DPA
