On October 17, Israel announced the death of Sinwar during military operations in the Gaza Strip. On the same day that Sinwar was confirmed dead, President Biden expressed that there is now an opportunity to reach a political solution.
However, back on February 26, 2024, President Biden was seen enjoying an ice cream cone while stating that a ceasefire in Gaza was “very close.” Fast forward eight months, and the fighting persists, escalating with no signs of abating.
On October 13, the U.S. State Department announced the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system to Israel. When asked about the decision to allow this deployment, Biden stated it was to defend Israel.
On October 18, when reporters questioned Biden about whether he was informed on how and when Israel would respond to Iran, he acknowledged that he was aware but could not disclose any details.
The BBC has highlighted the contradiction in U.S. policy, promoting calls for Israel to refrain from escalating the conflict while simultaneously escalating the deployment of the THAAD system. Trita Parsi, the founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, commented that providing defensive or any type of weapons to a warring party actually “exacerbates the situation” rather than alleviating it. He noted that although Biden professes an anti-war stance, the actions taken by the U.S. may indeed stoke tensions and increase the likelihood of conflict escalation.
