The cancellation of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Jordan to discuss the opening of a humanitarian corridor in the Gaza Strip was made by consensus after the leader of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) announced a period of mourning following the attack on a Gaza hospital, a spokesman for White said on Tuesday evening. House of National Security John Kirby, quoted by EFE and La Prensa Latina.

“This decision not to go to Amman was made jointly when President (Joe) Biden) spoke with King (Abdullah) this afternoon,” Kirby said, according to Agerpres.

“They both agreed that now is not the time for this meeting, especially since, as you know, President (Mahmoud) Abbas has made it clear — and it’s understandable — that he wants to be at home for three days of mourning,” he added.

The spokesman made the remarks aboard Air Force One, which is taking President Biden to Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and learn firsthand about the country’s defense needs against Hamas.

Biden decided to go ahead with the trip despite an attack on a hospital in Gaza, a soldier – according to Palestinian sources – with more than 500 dead, whose responsibility remains unclear, Israel blames the Islamic Jihad group, and Palestinians and Arab countries hold Israeli forces responsible for attack

Kirby said that on Tuesday, Biden spoke by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — who has been a proponent of opening a humanitarian corridor at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt — and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and that he would speak with them. tomorrow again “on the flight home”.

On Tuesday, Biden also spoke with Netanyahu, who reiterated “categorically” that Israel was not the author of the attack, which shook the international community and sparked protests in many cities.

“The Israelis categorically and very strongly deny that they have anything to do with this and enjoy the presumption of innocence. I think we certainly recognize that they feel strongly that it wasn’t their fault,” Kirby said.

Kirby also said the US government is gathering “as much information as possible” about what happened.

Biden’s plane is scheduled to land in Tel Aviv in a few hours. The US president will hold a “limited, very limited bilateral meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will then meet with Israel’s military cabinet and members of the security forces responding to Hamas attacks, the spokesman said.

The American president will also meet with the families of those killed in the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, as well as with relatives of the missing, including some hostages.

Biden will also deliver a public address before meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

One of the goals of the visit is to review the situation “on the ground” and Israel’s goals with “its plans, its intentions in the coming days and weeks,” Kirby said.

According to the quoted spokesman, Biden will ask the military cabinet what its needs are in terms of security assistance, and will specify that the United States will do “everything possible to meet those needs.”