Complex Diplomacy: Biden's Visit to Israel Amid Regional Tensions

As President Joe Biden sets foot in Israel, the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv has reached unprecedented closeness.

His arrival amidst the ongoing mutual shelling on both fronts of the northern and southern borders doesn't merely signify US alignment with Israel. 

It underscores the enhancement of their relations at this crucial juncture across various domains. 

The US umbrella that has covered Israel since the outbreak of the war with Hamas, coupled with the presence of Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel in recent days, makes the objectives of this visit multifaceted.

Marathon talks persist between Israeli decision-makers and the US Secretary of State, especially in the expanded cabinet. 

These discussions extended for long hours into the night of Monday to Tuesday. The US condition was clear: no Biden visit to Israel without assurance of providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

In addition to this file, the two parties discussed a plan to prevent a regional war and the fate of prisoners holding American passports. 

The United States, while supporting Israel, works to curb the outbreak of war in the region and presses for keeping the front with Lebanon calm or, at the very least, under control to prevent sliding towards war. 

Moreover, it does not want to lose its Middle Eastern allies. It insists on safeguarding their interests with those of Israel, with Saudi Arabia being foremost among them.

Washington recognizes that there is no Israeli retreat from launching a ground operation targeting Gaza. 

The equipment, soldiers, and especially the aerial training aimed at familiarizing troops with the areas the army will enter in the vast destruction zone north of Gaza have never been practiced by Israelis before. 

This pushes the decision-makers behind the war to confirm that the Gaza operation is difficult and harsh. It will last for months and will be undertaken with US logistical support.

What worries Washington today, in addition to all the above, is the file of US hostages held by Hamas and the situation of citizens holding American passports who are stranded in the sector. 

Washington will engage in a battle to recover them alive. How Israel will navigate this battle and the fate of the prisoners and missing persons, who Hamas took into the sector without a trace, remains uncertain. 

All attempts to reach an agreement ensuring the release of women and children have so far failed.