War in Gaza poses challenges for Biden at home and abroad

Nearly five months after Hamas militants attacked and killed about 1,200 people in Israel, President Biden has been drawn into the resulting unrest in the region. As he prepares to address the nation, he faces a broader emergency in the Middle East, with profound moral, political and security implications for his presidency.

Early sympathy for Israel after the October 7 attacks has given way to domestic and international anger over the suffering in Gaza. Israel’s subsequent military campaign to crush Hamas has now killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza officials, with severe shortages of food, water and medicine causing a humanitarian crisis.

Because the Israeli military relies heavily on American-supplied weapons and ammunition, Mr. Biden is under pressure at home and abroad to rein in Israel and ease suffering in Gaza. But despite increasingly adamant calls for Israel to do more to protect civilians and provide them with assistance, U.S. officials say that is not happening.

Yet Mr. Biden has reined in his criticism of Israel’s right-wing government and resisted demands to limit U.S. aid to Israel, often reminding the world that Israel was brutally attacked and is entitled to self defense. He has ordered aid landings into Gaza to supplement the limited truck convoys entering the area from Israel. But aid workers say those air supplies will make little difference.

In an effort to do more, Mr. Biden will announce a plan for the United States to build a floating pier off the coast of Gaza that could receive more supplies.

U.S. officials say their best hope is to help broker a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the fighting for several weeks, allow the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and bring a wave of humanitarian aid to the area make possible. Some U.S. officials believe such a pause in fighting could evolve into a longer-term ceasefire. Talks between several countries to reach an agreement have been going on for weeks, and US officials say Israel has signed an offer. But Hamas must agree again.

Looming in the background is the threat that violence poses to Biden’s re-election campaign. Many progressive voters are outraged that Mr. Biden has not done more to rebuke Israel or take action to halt arms shipments to the country.

At the same time, many analysts say Mr. Biden’s defense of an Israeli military campaign that he has called “arbitrary” has undermined America’s moral high ground as it charges Russia with atrocities in Ukraine. (Israeli officials call such criticism unfounded, saying they are taking unusual steps to warn civilians of coming attacks and that Hamas is provoking civilian casualties by operating in crowded areas.)

The problem for Mr. Biden is compounded by the October 7 regional shockwaves and Israel’s response. Israel is also exchanging fire with Iran-linked Hezbollah militants along the border with southern Lebanon, where some Israeli officials warn they could launch a major attack on Hezbollah strongholds. That would risk drawing Iran into the conflict – an escalation that could in turn attract the United States.

But Biden has already resorted to military action: Since October 7, Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly attacked US troops stationed in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, killing three US soldiers in January. These attacks have led to several U.S. airstrikes on these groups.

Mr Biden has also ordered dozens of strikes against Yemen’s rebel Houthi militia, which has shown solidarity with Gaza by attacking international shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, disrupting global trade and at least on Wednesday killing two civilian sailors. .

While Biden’s diplomats are frantically trying to bring calm to the region, his political advisers are struggling to limit any damage to his re-election campaign. His State of the Union address could include an attempt to do some of both.