As tensions in the Middle East increased as a result of an attack on a hospital in Gaza that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, US Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel to support Israel’s war against Hamas became more important. At 10 a.m. local time, it is anticipated to touch down in Israel. Palestinian officials claimed that Israeli forces attacked the hospital with an airstrike, and the health minister of the Palestinian Authority charged Israel with “massacre.” Israel attributed the explosion at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization and a botched missile launch.

Rescuers are currently extricating bodies from the rubble, according to Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Palestinian ministry.

According to the head of Gaza’s civil defense, 300 people have died, but 500, according to sources in the health ministry.After the attack, Jordan called off a scheduled summit with the US president, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Biden’s convoluted Middle East diplomatic mission was intended to calm the region and boost humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

Abbas also postponed a meeting with Biden, and in Ramallah, an occupied West Bank city, Palestinian security forces dispersed opposition protestors using tear gas and stun grenades.Security personnel used tear gas against protesters near the US embassy in Lebanon as well as in front of the Israeli embassies in Jordan and Turkey.

Before the hospital bombing, health officials in Gaza reported that at least 3.000 people had perished in Israel’s 11-day bombardment, which started after a Hamas attack that caught Israel off guard and resulted in over 200 individuals being taken as hostages to Gaza.

The Israeli military has pushed inhabitants of Gaza City to leave, claiming that al-Mawasi, located 28 kilometers inland from the coast of the Palestinian enclave, is a “humanitarian zone” with help available.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters as Biden was already traveling to Tel Aviv that Biden would seekAccording to Kirby, Biden will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military cabinet to learn more about Israel’s intentions and objectives. Additionally, it hopes to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, where due to the Israeli embargo, millions of Palestinians struggle to survive due to a lack of food, fuel, and water. What Biden might accomplish while in town is unknown. Before returning to Washington, the US president will meet with Sisi and Abbas, according to Kirby.The United States does not want the fight to intensify into a larger war, Biden has previously said.

Iran, which supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas, has threatened escalation if Israel does not stop its hostility toward the Palestinians.

Even before the attack at the hospital, the New York Times called Biden’s visit a “trip full of risks.”