A White House meeting between President Joe Biden and the new Israeli prime minister was postponed Thursday after a suicide bomb went off in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Biden was scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., but the White House told reporters it would be delayed.
Bennett and his staff were informed the meeting was postponed, according to reports, but they were urged not to leave their hotel.
BREAKING: White House notified Israeli Prime Minister's office not to leave the hotel for now for the meeting with Biden which was planned to begin 11:30am, Israeli official told me. The hold up is because Biden still holding consultations on Afghanistan
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 26, 2021
Biden was scheduled for a briefing in the Situation Room at the White House shortly before the bombing occurred near the airport in Kabul, where Americans were conducting evacuations.
A 10:30 a.m. scheduled briefing by Biden’s coronavirus response team was also canceled on Thursday.
Biden remains in the Situation Room at the White House to monitor the crisis.
The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that there were American casualties as a result of the bombing.
We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021
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