In a recent announcement, Joe Biden mistakenly interchanged Gaza with Ukraine while discussing the urgent provision of aid to Palestinians. The 81-year-old US president confirmed on Friday the plan to airdrop humanitarian assistance into Gaza and emphasized the United States’ demand for Israel to enhance its efforts in facilitating aid to those suffering from famine and war impacts, highlighting the critical situation of children.
During his speech, Biden incorrectly mentioned airdrops intended for “Ukraine” on two occasions, prompting White House officials to later clarify that he was indeed referring to Gaza.
The clarification came while Biden was hosting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Washington. He remarked on the inadequacy of the current aid reaching Gaza, underscoring the dire circumstances faced by civilians, particularly children, and stressed the necessity of significantly increasing the volume of aid delivered.
The announcement by President Biden regarding humanitarian aid follows reports from the Hamas-run health ministry indicating that since the onset of the conflict last October, 30,000 Palestinians have died. The situation in the Gaza Strip is dire, with approximately 2.2 million Palestinians experiencing extreme food shortages, exacerbated by Israel’s destruction of food supplies and severe restrictions on the flow of food, medicines, and other essential goods.
Amid these hardships, Palestinians awaiting humanitarian relief have reportedly faced Israeli gunfire. The severe malnutrition and hunger prevalent in Gaza highlight the urgent need for international assistance.
During a statement at the White House on Friday, President Biden misspoke, referring to “Ukraine” instead of Gaza while discussing the planned airdrops of food and supplies. He mentioned collaboration with Jordan and other nations to provide the necessary aid. Furthermore, Biden emphasized the United States’ efforts to explore additional avenues to deliver substantial humanitarian assistance, mistakenly citing “Ukraine” again instead of Gaza. He advocated for Israel to allow more trucks and routes to facilitate the delivery of aid, underlining the critical need for expanded humanitarian access.
Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France, Jordan, and the UK have already initiated airdrop operations to address the crisis.
English