US President Joe Biden said Israel had agreed that humanitarian aid could go to Gaza from Egypt, warning that any attempt to steal the aid from Hamas would show it “doesn’t care about the welfare of the Palestinian people”.

The US “unequivocally supports the protection of civilian life during conflict,” Biden said during remarks in Tel Aviv, adding, “The people of Gaza need food, water, medicine, shelter.”

“Today I asked the Israeli cabinet, with whom I met at length this morning, to agree to the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, based on the understanding that there will be inspections and that the aid must go to civilians and not to Hamas,” Biden said.

Biden says his message to any state or “hostile actor” thinking of attacking Israel is “don’t, don’t, don’t.”

At the same time, he called on Israel not to repeat the “mistakes” committed by the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

To prevent Israel from repeating “the mistakes of the US” after 9/11

The US president called the release of the hostages held in Gaza an “absolute priority” following the attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7. He also announced that he would ask Congress this week to approve an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel. He stressed that Washington will do everything it can to guarantee the country’s security.

Biden urged Israeli citizens not to succumb to anger and stressed that the vast majority of Palestinians are not affiliated with Hamas. The Palestinian people are also suffering, he stressed, noting that this war reinforces his belief in the “two-state solution” in the Middle East.

The president made a reference to the Holocaust of World War II, commenting that Israel is supported by its friends. “We will not be idle again. Not today, that tomorrow, not ever”, he emphasized.