US President Biden addressed the people of the United States and drew a link between the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and he urged Congress to take action and pass an aid package supporting both nations.
The speech came at a time when Gazans still awaiting aid from the Egypt Rafah crossing and there is no sign of a ceasefire from Hamas or Israel as international bodies call for an immediate truce to provide relief supplies for the Gaza people.
He said: "I know these conflicts can seem far away and it's natural to ask 'why does this matter to America?' So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital to America's national security," said Biden. "History has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going and the cost and the threats to America keep rising. So if we don't stop Putin's appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he won't limit himself just to Ukraine. Putin's already threatened to 'remind' Poland that their western land was a 'gift' from Russia."
"If we walk away and let Putin erase Ukraine's independence, the risk of conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world. Iran is supporting Russia in Ukraine and it's supporting Hamas and other terrorists in the region. We'll continue to hold them accountable. The US and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East. One where the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbors."
China ready to liaise with Russia on Middle East crisis
China is ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to cool down the Israel-Palestinian conflict, its Middle East special envoy said after meeting with his Russian counterpart this week, Chinese state media reported.
China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue, Zhai Jun was quoted saying after meeting with Russia's special representative for Middle East and African countries in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.
"The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed," Zhai said.
He said China is saddened by the number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis and is ready to play a "positive role in the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks," as well as the "genuine implementation" of the two-state solution.
Zhai, who met with the Arab League representatives last Saturday and Israel's ambassador to China on Tuesday, has said that China has no "selfish" interests in the Palestinian issue.
Both envoys also exchanged views on Syria during the meeting but did not elaborate.
Russia said on Thursday it was closely coordinating its policy in the Middle East and North Africa with China, for the Israel conflict as well as other crises in those regions.
The world is 'losing its humanity': UN agency chief
The Middle East is on the "edge of an abyss" as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, UN agency chief Philippe Lazzarini has told the BBC.
"The world is now losing its humanity", the commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said. He warned that violence could spill over across the region.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Lazzarini condemned Hamas's attack on Israel, calling it a "horrific and barbaric massacre" that had created a "national trauma, a collective trauma in Israel".
"But this event still does not justify that the war is conducted without any restraint," he said. "And I do not believe that killing even more civilians is in the interest of the future security and peace here in the region."
