Biden postpones trip to Colorado as conflict in Israel and Gaza widens

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President Joe Biden will postpone a trip to Colorado to promote his signature climate law as the war between Israel and Hamas escalates.

The White House released a statement early Monday morning.

“The President’s trip to Colorado is postponed and it will be rescheduled,” an official said. “The President will remain at the White House to participate in national security meetings”

The postponement comes as Israeli forces have amassed on the border of Gaza after the deadline for Palestinians to leave expired on Saturday. The forces come in response to Hamas’s engaging in a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, where it launched thousands of rockets and stormed through the Israel-Gaza border, killing civilians at a music festival and taking numerous hostages.

The attack is one of the deadliest assaults on Israel in generations. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “dismantle Hamas,” whom he called “bloodthirsty monsters.” Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Richard Hecht confirmed that 126 people are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Mr Biden spoke on 60 Minutes on Sunday evening calling for the elimination of Hamas.

“Yes, I do. But there needs to be a Palestinian authority,” he told Scott Pelley. “There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state.”

But the president said that he did not think Israel would support the creation of a Palestinian state at the moment.

”Not now. Not now. Not now, but I think Israel understands that a significant portion of Palestinian people do not share the views of Hamas and Hezbollah,” he said.

Mr Biden planned to travel to Pueblo, Colorado, which is in the district of Rep Lauren Boebert (R-CO). The a hard-right Republican promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election and voted to object to the election results on January 6.

Mr Biden has previously mentioned how the Inflation Reduction Act would bring jobs to Ms Boebert’s district, specifically the fact the world’s largest wind tower manufacturing plant would be built in Colorado’s 3rd District.

“It is in her district,” he said in August. “Who, along with every other Republican voted against this bill. She railed against the passage. That is ok, she is welcoming it now.”

-Andy Gregory, Bel Trew and Tom Watling contributed to this report.