'I'm convinced': Joe Biden says Hamas attack on Israel could be linked to IMEEC corridor

US President Joe Biden on Thursday said he is convinced that one of the reasons why Palestinian militant outfit Hamas launched a surprise terror attack on Israel on October 7 was because of the announcement of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) that was announced during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi in September this year. 

Soon after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched a massive counter-offensive against Hamas. Biden told reporters at a joint presser with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that his analysis was based on his instinct.

"I'm convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did, and I have no proof of this, just my instinct tells me, is because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration overall. We can't leave that work behind," the POTUS was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

This is the second time in less than a week that Biden has mentioned the IMEEC as a potential reason for the deadly surprise attack by Hamas. The IMEEC is being seen as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The corridor comprises an eastern corridor that connects India to the Gulf region and also comprises a northern corridor that connects the Gulf region to Europe. The IMEEC will connect India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe. 

Biden further mentioned that Israel has the right and responsibility to respond to the slaughter of their people. He further added that the US will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Hamas. He also noted that he has "no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using" for the death toll in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, where the health ministry says over 6,500 have been killed in Israeli attacks. 

He also said that in the past few weeks, he has spoken to leaders in the region including Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He also emphasised the necessity of promoting greater integration of Israel in the future and that the aspirations of the Palestinian people shall play a significant part in building that future. 

(With PTI inputs)

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