The United States says it is able to focus on Asia despite the war between Israel and Hamas – Asia News

The latest war between Israel and Hamas militants will not distract the United States from its involvement in Indo-Pacific affairs, a senior US official said, as the bloodiest assault on the Jewish state in decades raises questions about Washington’s ability to keep China as the top priority in its foreign policy.

As reported by Kyodo News, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States is capable of providing aid to Israel while continuing to support Washington’s allies in Asia, as well as Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

“We believe we have the resources, the tools and the capabilities to be able to do this effectively,” Sullivan said at a news conference. “And part of our job is to make sure that we are working in all of these theaters at once, and that is precisely what we are doing every day.”

He made the comments when asked whether the war that erupted with a surprise Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday will make it more difficult for President Joe Biden’s administration to remain committed to Ukraine and stability in the Indo-Pacific, where China has been demonstrating increasingly its military power.

The attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, shocked the world and triggered a new round of geopolitical tensions, posing a huge challenge for Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024.

Although some American Republicans and critics of the Biden administration have begun to argue that the United States cannot provide simultaneous support in two separate wars, Sullivan said: “We firmly reject (such) notion.”

Of Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian forces since Moscow began its full-scale invasion in 2022, he said it is “much more profitable to take action now” rather than pay a huge price later, “a price that in Ultimately, as has happened in the past, it could require the actual deployment of American troops to combat.”

He stressed that it will be better to help Ukraine stand firm in the face of Russian aggression and do so “in a sustained manner,” adding that the United States has enough budget flexibility to provide aid on two fronts.

Mexico, Argentina and Chile coordinate evacuation operations in the midst of the conflict in Israel and Palestine

Shortly before the press conference, Biden addressed the nation from the White House and denounced the weekend’s Hamas assault as “pure evil” and “terrorism,” while expressing his unequivocal support for Israel.

“Let there be no doubt. The United States stands with Israel,” she said in a speech that lasted about 10 minutes. “We will ensure that the Jewish and democratic State of Israel can defend itself, today, tomorrow, as we always have. As simple as that”.

To reaffirm the Biden administration’s solidarity with Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to depart for Israel on Wednesday.

Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday to meet with senior officials and also visit Jordan, according to Matthew Miller, the department’s chief spokesman.

With the conflict expected to prolong, the United States declared that it has begun supplying Israel with the necessary ammunition and military equipment.

On Tuesday, US Central Command said the Ford aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the eastern Mediterranean.

The arrival of the strike group, led by one of the world’s largest aircraft carriers, is intended to “deter any actor attempting to escalate the situation or expand this war,” the command said in a statement.