Key Takeaways
- President Joe Biden convened a bipartisan Senate briefing at the White House on the Gaza conflict.
- The administration seeks $14.3 billion in emergency aid for Israel, with separate discussions for Ukraine funding.
- Senate leaders are preparing their own version of the aid bill after the House passed the Israel funding measure.
Washington: US President Joe Biden has met with a bipartisan group of senators who had recently returned from a trip to Israel and neighboring Arab countries.
They gathered to discuss developments in the Gaza conflict, the White House said in a statement.
“The President met with Senators who recently traveled to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt about their trip and the situation in Israel and Gaza,” the statement said on Wednesday.
The meeting included Senators Lindsey Graham, Ben Cardin, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Katie Britt, Susan Collins, Chris Coons, Jack Reed, and Dan Sullivan, the release noted.
The Biden administration recently requested Congress approve $14.3 billion in emergency funding to provide Israel with additional security assistance amid its conflict with Palestinian movement Hamas in Gaza.
The Republican-majority House of Representatives already passed a bill to provide Israel with $14.3 billion, but it is expected to hit a dead end in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said senators will work on their own version of a bill that will include funding for Israel and Ukraine as well.
