Israel PM In DC For Biden Meeting

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, the day after the Israeli premier delivers a major speech to the US Congress.

The date of the White House meeting had been in the air after originally being slated for Tuesday as Biden recovered from Covid and later quit the presidential election race.

Netanyahu, under pressure to reach a truce and hostage-release deal, arrived in Washington on Monday, as an Israeli operation in the Gaza city of Khan Yunis killed 70 people and wounded more than 200, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

The Israeli military warned residents to evacuate as it would “forcefully operate” in the area.

The military warning affected the eastern Khan Yunis sector of the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in southern Gaza and sent thousands of panicked Palestinians fleeing.

Israel’s military said it would act to curb rocket fire in the area. Khan Yunis had already seen heavy fighting this year.

Thousands had fled the area after the Israeli military showered Khan Yunis with leaflets ordering evacuation on Monday, warning it was preparing to launch an operation in part of a former humanitarian area.

The military had declared Al-Mawasi, along the Gaza coast between the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah, a safe zone in May, and told Palestinians to relocate there.

But it ordered people to leave part of the zone in eastern Khan Yunis city that it says militants have been using to launch attacks on Israeli targets.

The military said the evacuation was due to “significant terrorist activity and rocket fire toward the state of Israel from the eastern part of the humanitarian area”, making it too “dangerous” to remain.

The latest incident comes nine days after the health ministry said 92 people were killed in a strike on Al-Mawasi.