On Tuesday, President Joe Biden voiced his strong condemnation of Hamas and reconfirmed unwavering U.S. support for Israel as the nation grieved over the loss of over 1,000 lives, including at least 14 Americans, in a surprise attack initiated by the Palestinian militant group.
President Biden also expressed deep concern for the Americans who were held captive by Hamas, an Islamist organization backed by Iran. He expressed, “There are moments in life, and I say this with absolute sincerity, when pure and unadulterated evil is unleashed upon the world. The people of Israel faced one such moment this past weekend. This is an act of absolute malevolence,” he declared.
Israel carried out its most intense airstrikes in the 75-year conflict with the Palestinians, causing extensive damage to entire neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip, despite threats from Hamas militants to execute a captive for each targeted home without prior warning.
Biden’s statements came following his third phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the last four days. He provided a detailed account of the U.S. military assistance being dispatched to aid Israel in its ongoing struggle.
The President also outlined the steps the United States is taking in collaboration with its global allies to bolster Israel. The White House signaled its commitment to expedite additional security requests from Israel.
It was clarified that the United States has no plans to deploy American military forces on the ground, as confirmed by White House national security spokesperson John Kirby during a press briefing. In contrast, Israel has called up an unprecedented 300,000 of its reservists.
Despite their differences regarding the way forward in the Middle East, Biden and Netanyahu find themselves in a wartime partnership due to the multifaceted attack launched by Hamas militants from Gaza into Israel.
Biden also expressed his support for American Jews and emphasized the importance of allowing them to worship in peace within the United States. He had previously noted that incidents of antisemitism in the United States had reached record levels last month.
The Israeli embassy in Washington reported that the death toll from the weekend attacks by Hamas had surpassed 1,000, surpassing all contemporary Islamist attacks on the Western world since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
