Joe Biden to make crucial visit to Israel and Jordan as Gaza near ‘complete collapse’

US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday ahead of a plannd ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza that has sparked fears of a broader conflict with Iran.

Mr Biden’s visit will mark a show of solidarity for Washington’s top Middle East ally after Hamas killed at least 1,400 people during a murderous rampage through southern Israeli towns on 7 October. Meanwhile, heads of EU member states are due to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in a bid to “harmonise” the bloc’s response to the conflict.

Israel’s bombing campaign on Gaza has killed more than 2,800 people, authorities on the strip say, with aid workers warning that life was near complete collapse because of the Israeli siege, with hundreds of thousands of people seeking shelter, ever-decreasing water supplies and power running out at hospitals.