Biden will make clear that “Israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken told reporters after hours of talks with Israel’s war cabinet in Tel Aviv.

Israel is preparing for a possible ground attack in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to root out the militants responsible for the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust. Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, on the other hand, has warned of “preemptive action” by the resistance axis in the coming hours if Israel advances closer to launching the ground offensive.

Blinken, who reached Tel Aviv on Monday after a whirlwind Middle East tour, further said that the United States and Israel “have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organisations to reach civilians in Gaza.” “President will continue to coordinate closely with our Israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas…,” he added.

According to Gaza authorities, over 2,800 people have been killed there, around a quarter of them children, and more than 10,000 wounded are in hospitals desperately short of supplies.

The US president will also travel to Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah II, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Meanwhile, Israel launched strikes overnight on Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon, the Israeli army said in a statement early on Tuesday.

Singh is the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and serves as the executive vice president of Sustainability at the company.

“I am deeply honored to join the group of esteemed leaders that make up the President’s Export Council. From the earliest days of my career, I’ve gravitated toward work that helps create long-lasting and inclusive prosperity for people and economies in the US and around the world,” Singh said in a statement last week.

“I look forward to bringing this perspective to the Council, serving the Administration and having an opportunity to advance America’s economic interests across the globe.”

She has drawn on over 20 years of global experience to develop a unique social impact model that leverages the assets of the public and private sector.

Her leadership has contributed to Mastercard’s global leadership and reputation of doing well by doing good, a White House statement read.

In 2018, Mastercard created the Mastercard Impact Fund with an initial $500 million investment.

Singh was named President and charged with activating those philanthropic dollars to advance inclusive growth and financial inclusion around the world.

Deeply committed to public service, Singh has held senior positions in the White House and the US House of Representatives.

She was the Executive Director of the first President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and in 2015, she was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate to a six-year term on the board of AmeriCorps.

She also serves on the boards of the Anti-Defamation League and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.

She has been named to the Financial Times Top 100 LGBT+ Executives and Fast Company‘s Queer 50 lists.

Singh has studied at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the Indian School of Business. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.

The President’s Export Council serves as the principal national advisory committee on international trade.

The Council advises the President on government policies and programs that affect US trade performance; promotes export expansion; and provides a forum for discussing and resolving trade-related problems among the business, industrial, agricultural, labour, and government sectors.