1 UNITED STATES/ISRAEL
Biden to visit Israel as fears grow of regional conflict
President Joe Biden was due to visit Israel for talks with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week as concerns grew that the Israel-Hamas war could spiral into a regional conflict.
The visit came as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip grew more dire and as Israel prepared for a ground attack on the enclave to root out Hamas militants.
Israel was expected to brief Biden on its war aims and strategy, said the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and on how it will conduct operations “in a way that minimises civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas”.
Biden was also due to travel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah II, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
The latest diplomatic efforts came amid reports that about 2,000 US troops were preparing to deploy in non-combat roles in possible support of Israel, and the distribution by Hamas of its first hostage video, showing an injured woman who identifies herself as 21-year-old Mia Schem.
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2 BELGIUM
Suspect shot dead by police after killing of two Swedes
The man suspected of killing two Swedish football fans and wounding another in a terrorist attack in Brussels on Monday night died after being shot by police. Belgium’s
