President Biden arrived in Israel against the backdrop of a deadly hospital blast in Gaza.

Biden in the Middle East

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President Biden arrived in Israel against the backdrop of a deadly hospital blast in Gaza.

Tell me.

Yesterday, an explosion at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people, including children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Witnesses and journalists have described scenes of complete carnage. Hamas — the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza — blamed an Israeli airstrike, one of thousands Israel has launched since Hamas’s deadly terrorist attack last week. Israel's military blamed the explosion on a failed rocket launch from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the region. The group is denying involvement. And Biden this morning said it appeared the blast was "done by the other team," not Israel.

What are people saying?

Journalists are working to find out what happened — as is the US. In reaction to the hospital explosion, Biden said he was “outraged and deeply saddened” and directed his national security team to “continue gathering information about what exactly happened.” Following the hospital explosion, protests erupted across countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey. Jordan canceled its meeting with Biden in Amman, where it also planned to host the leaders of Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to discuss humanitarian aid for Gaza. King Abdullah II of Jordan said the Middle East is “on the brink of falling into the abyss.”

What will Biden’s meeting in Israel look like now?

Biden is meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this morning to show the US’s support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’s attack: the deadliest in Israel in 50 years. The visit is also an effort to contain the conflict and discourage Iran from entering the fight, as violent clashes escalate along the Israel-Lebanon border with Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the trip also comes as Biden faces growing demands to call for an immediate ceasefire.

theSkimm

The deadly explosion at al-Ahli Hospital has left Palestinians grieving. Now, as many search for answers, it raises the stakes in a conflict that could pull the rest of the Middle East into war.

What's Going On in the Region?

President Biden is on a high-stakes visit to try to keep a war from spreading in the Middle East. Here are some of the key actors and countries in the region to keep on watch...

Hezbollah…is a militant group and political force based in Lebanon. The group has been labeled a terrorist organization by multiple countries, including the US, and is backed by Iran. Israeli officials believe Hezbollah is a major threat, and the two were at war for a month in 2006. In recent days, Israeli forces have been clashing with Hezbollah fighters along the Lebanon-Israel border. So far, military exchanges have been limited, but there have been a number of casualties, including one journalist.

Iran…financially and militarily supports a number of militant groups in the region, including Hamas — which launched the deadly terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th — as well as Hezbollah. Despite denying involvement in the attack, Iran has warned the Israel-Hamas war could soon widen. Earlier this week, Iran’s foreign minister said that regional militias (like Hezbollah) are ready to take “pre-emptive action” should the conflict in Gaza escalate.

Saudi Arabia…and Israel were about to hold historic negotiations. Saudi Arabia had signaled it would recognize Israel, paving the way for other Arab states to do the same. Hamas’s attack, and the subsequent fallout, has complicated that. Now, the country paused all talks until further notice — and said they would not resume until concessions for Palestinians are prioritized. Like other leaders in the region, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called for a deescalation amid concerns that the war could spread beyond Israel and Gaza.

Egypt…shares a border with Gaza (the Rafah crossing). The country backs Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. While Egypt has supported humanitarian aid into Gaza through Rafah, it recently claimed Israel was refusing to cooperate with aid deliveries and evacuations. As Israeli airstrikes keep pounding Southern Gaza, many Palestinians and hundreds of tons of supplies are stuck at the Rafah crossing. Egypt has also remained wary of taking in Palestinian refugees. 

Jordan…shares a border with Israel and the West Bank. And has worked to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza since the conflict began. However, like Egypt, Jordan refuses to take in Palestinian refugees out of fears that the move could destabilize the country. Jordan already has the largest number of Palestinian refugees outside of Palestinian territories. The country’s seen protests in support of Hamas and Gazans, following the October 7th terror attack and the explosion at al-Ahli Hospital. 

What’s collecting cobwebs…

The House Speaker chair. Yesterday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) lost his first floor vote for House speaker. The hardline Republican didn’t convince enough members of his own party to side with him, falling 17 votes short of reaching the 217 he needed. Before the vote, Jordan said he was willing to go through multiple rounds of floor votes. The 20 Republicans who voted against him opted for ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), previously nominated Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY). All 212 Democrats rallied behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). The House remains in limbo as it’s been two weeks without a speaker. Another vote is expected today.

Who’s opening up about a tough decision…

Britney Spears. Yesterday, outlets published excerpts from her upcoming memoir, “The Woman in Me,” revealing that the pop star had an abortion during her relationship with Justin Timberlake. In the book, Spears said if the decision had been left only to her, she “never would have done it.” Spears and Timberlake began dating in 1999 — when she was 17 and he was 18. The couple split in 2002. Spears added the pregnancy was “a surprise” but not “a tragedy.” She said that Timberlake “definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy” and that he “was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” Timberlake has not commented. Spears’ book is dropping next week.

Who got booted from the picket line…

Greta Thunberg. Yesterday, London police arrested the 20-year-old activist while protesting an oil and gas conference at a luxury hotel. Police said they arrested Thunberg — and several protestors — for disrupting the hotel and guests. It's at least the fourth time this year that she's been arrested or removed from a protest.

What the “Hot Ones” host is taking notes on…

The world’s new hottest pepper.

What Netflix is giving us a peek of...

"The Crown" and the Fire Nation.

Who's kicking it together...

Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris.