Israel-Hamas conflict: Biden administration seeks $105 billion from US Congress for aid in Israel, Ukraine

US President Joe Biden has requested more than $105 billion from Congress as part of a package to provide security assistance for the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as reported by CNN.

The request will help mitigate "the global humanitarian impacts of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and of Hamas' horrific attacks on Israel, including by extending humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza," he said.

The US President made his request in a primetime Oval Office address to the nation and called the moment "an inflection point" in American history.

The request will also seek additional funding for the US-Mexico border and priorities in the Indo-Pacific region, the CNN report said citing sources.

In a letter to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, US Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young outlined the funding request, which in addition to $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine and $14.3 billion in aid for Israel, includes $9.15 billion in funding for humanitarian aid, $7.4 billion in funding for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region and $13.6 billion to address security at the US-Mexico border.

"The world is watching and the American people rightly expect their leaders to come together and deliver on these priorities. I urge Congress to address them as part of a comprehensive, bipartisan agreement in the weeks ahead," Young said.

The request came as President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week and travelled to Israel amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas. In Israel, Biden met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and took a stock of the ongoing situation.

During his visit to Israel, he announced a $100 million humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. The funding will help support over a million displaced and conflict-affected people with clean water, food, hygiene support, medical care, and other essential needs, a White House statement read.

Israel-Hamas war

The latest conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants on October 7. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, including children, and more than 4,500 people have been injured, Israeli officials said.

At least 3,400 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 12,000 have been injured, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.

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