Middle East and Africa | Crisis in the Middle East

Joe Biden steers a risky course after a Gaza hospital blast 

The president takes personal charge of diplomacy as he visits Tel Aviv

Joe Biden
Image: AP
|WASHINGTON, DC

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’s visit to contain the crisis in the Middle East has been blown up by an explosion at a Gaza hospital in which Palestinian officials say hundreds of civilians were killed. Amid mutual recriminations over who was responsible, Jordan denounced the “heinous war crime” and cancelled a summit it was due to host in Amman with Mr Biden as well as Palestinian and Egyptian leaders.

Explore more

More from Middle East and Africa

Israel has seen arms embargoes before

But this time it will struggle without American military support

The Israeli army is caught in a doom loop in Gaza

And the refusal to plan for the day after the war is fuelling a crisis with America


War and climate change are overwhelming Somalia

It has already been battered by three decades of conflict