Biden to visit Israel today for talks as tensions soar

US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to show "his steadfast support" for Israel as it faced "Hamas's brutal terrorist attack" after Washington said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to let humanitarian aid reach besieged Gazans. Mediators struggled to break a deadlock over delivering supplies to increasingly desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals in the blockaded enclave.

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Netanyahu on Tuesday called for broad international support "to defeat Hamas", labelling his country's response against the militant group "the war of all civilised countries".

In the 11 days since the violence started, relentless Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed over 3,000 people, nearly two-thirds children, in retaliation for the surprise October 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,400 people in southern Israel.

Scores of trucks carrying vital supplies for Gaza headed towards the Rafah crossing in Egypt on Tuesday, the only access point to the coastal enclave outside Israel's control, but there was no clear indication that they would be able to enter.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken announced Biden's planned visit at the end of hours of talks with Netanyahu, in which he said the latter had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He gave no details.

Biden will "hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people", Blinken said. He will also hear how Israel will carry out operations in a way that minimises civilian casualties and lets humanitarian aid into Gaza to help civilians "in a way that does not benefit Hamas".