US President Joe Biden made a major verbal gaffe while announcing Washington’s plans to carry out a first military airdrop of vital supplies into Gaza on Friday – confusing the Palestinian enclave with Ukraine.
The US leader’s remarks came a day after Gaza health authorities accused Israeli forces of killing more than 100 people who tried to reach a relief convoy.
“In the coming days, we are going to join with our friends in Jordan and others in providing airdrops of additional food and supplies into Ukraine and seek to continue to open up other avenues into Ukraine, including the possibility of a marine corridor to deliver large amounts of humanitarian assistance,” Biden said.
Later in his prepared remarks, Biden noted that “aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough now,” and White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also clarified that Biden “was referring to Gaza” when he said Ukraine.
