Biden Says US Always Stands With Israel Against Terrorism
President Joe Biden condemned Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed over 1,000 people and vowed “swift, decisive and overwhelming response.”
President Joe Biden condemned Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed over 1,000 people and vowed “swift, decisive and overwhelming response.”
In an address to the nation from the White House, he also expressed concerns about the Americans being held hostage by the Iranian-backed Islamist group as well as the death of at least 11 Americans in the multi-thronged invasion on October 7.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “We believe that there are 20 or more Americans who at this point are missing, but I want to underscore and stress that does not mean necessarily that there are 20 or more American hostages. Just that is the number who are currently unaccounted for."
In his deeply emotional speech, Biden emphasized that the US has Israel’s back, saying, "This is an act of sheer evil.”
"There are moments in this life and I mean this literally when the pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend," he stated.
"So in this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand with Israel. Let me say again to any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation, I have one word. Don't. Don't!"
Biden's warning can be seen a reminder to the Iranian regime and its most powerful proxy force, the Lebanese Hezbollah, which again traded fire with Israel on Tuesday, as the fighting in and around Gaza was continuing. Earlier, the Chairman of the US joint chiefs, Gen, Charles Brown warned Iran not to get involved in the conflict.
Biden, who spoke after his third phone call in four days with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighted in his remarks the US military assistance being sent to help Israel in its fight.
Biden also offered an overview of the actions the United States is taking with allies around the world to support Israel.
Biden also offered support for American Jews and said they should be allowed to worship in peace in the United States. Biden said last month that antisemitism in the United States had risen to record levels.
He added that US law enforcement agencies were taking steps to disrupt any domestic threat that may emerge after Hamas' weekend attack. The FBI said earlier it was "closely monitoring unfolding events" but added it "does not have specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas attacks in Israel."
The United States does not plan to put American military forces on the ground, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. Israel has called up an unprecedented 300,000 of its own reservists.
Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from Hamas' weekend attacks had surpassed 1,000, dwarfing all modern Islamist attacks on the West since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Earlier, Israel’s military announced that the country’s border is under control after hours of fighting and airstrikes Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfuss of the 98th Division said the military is now “moving into the offensive … to change the reality within Gaza to prevent such a thing from happening again.”
