Biden asks US Congress for $105bn in assistance for Israel and Ukraine

US President Joe Biden has submitted a request to Congress for more than $105bn to provide humanitarian and military aid to Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance for Gaza and for immigration enforcement on the United States border with Mexico.

US President Joe Biden has submitted a request to Congress for more than $105bn to provide humanitarian and military aid to Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance for Gaza and for immigration enforcement on the United States border with Mexico.

The White House issued the funding request on Friday, following a speech from Biden the day before in which he argued that US security is connected to the success of Ukraine and Israel.

“This budget request is critical to advancing America’s national security and ensuring the safety of the American people,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Friday, echoing comments from Biden’s speech.

The comments come as Israel continues to bombard the beseiged Gaza Strip in response to a Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has said that 4,137 people have been killed in the Israeli bombardment, and humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached critical levels as medical workers plead for fuel and assistance that has yet to materialise.

The Israeli campaign has sparked protests across the Middle East region, and critics have accused the US of turning a blind eye to violations of international law.