(The Center Square) — President Joe Biden addressed the Hamas terror attacks in Israel during a speech from the White House Tuesday, pledging the support of the U.S. and saying that at least 14 American citizens had been killed and that some were being held hostage.
Biden condemned the “brutality of Hamas” calling it “abhorrent” and comparing it to ISIS terrorism.
“Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies, families hid their fear for hours and hours desperately trying to keep their children quiet to avoid drawing attention,” Biden said during the speech, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris on one side and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the other.
“And thousands of wounded, alive but carrying with them the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds and the memory of what they endured,” Biden added.
The number of dead, wounded and captured has steadily risen, and fighting is still going on. Biden said Hamas has threatened to kill its hostages.
“In this moment we must be crystal clear,” Biden said. “We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel, and we will make sure it has what it needs to take care of its citizens, to defend itself and respond to this attack. There is no justification for terrorism.”
Over the weekend, Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets from Gaza to multiple locations in Israel as Hamas militants infiltrated Israel, killing and capturing Israeli soldiers and civilians. Israeli media reported hundreds dead and thousands wounded, and Israeli forces quickly struck back at targets in Gaza, beginning what could be a prolonged war in the region.
Congress will likely receive calls for additional funding for Israel’s war effort, but the House of Representatives is in disarray, with still no Speaker of the House and a government shutdown looming in mid-November. Congress has spent billions in recent years to support Israel’s Iron Dome, a highly advanced missile defense system that needs fresh ammunition.
Biden said the U.S. has increased its military presence in the region, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group. Currently, the Department of Defense is already sending support to Israel.
“First of all, with supporting Israel’s defense, we are surging support to Israel,” a senior defense official from the DOD told reporters on a press call Monday. “That includes air defense and munitions. We remain in constant, ongoing contact with our counterparts in Israel to determine and then support their most urgent requirements.”
The State Department has also issued a travel advisory about traveling to the region, an otherwise popular tourist destination for Americans.
“Terrorist groups, lone-wolf terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza,” the State Department said in its advisory. “Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Violence can occur in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza without warning. There has been a marked increase in demonstrations throughout Israel, some with little or no warning.”
Biden has also taken fire for releasing $6 billion to Iran that was held up in sanctions just weeks before this attack. Iran is a known financial backer of the Hamas terror group. The Biden administration has responded, saying that money was reserved for humanitarian use, but critics say the money is fungible and support for Iran whether direct or indirect is support for Hamas.
Those billions, along with five detained Iranians, were given in exchange for the release of five detained Americans in Iran.
“It can be re-frozen at any time,” John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council told MSNBC in response to questions about that $6 billion deal. “I’m not here to announce a policy decision one way or the other on that, but as we said, when we got those Americans out of Tehran, that money can be frozen at any time. We can stop any transaction.
“It is important for people to know that not a single dinar of that $6 billion…none of it has been allocated,” he added. “None of it has been spent.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on Tuesday they should freeze the funds immediately.
“The Biden administration should immediately freeze the $6 billion it released to Iran,” Cotton wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Anything less is unacceptable.”
Biden says at least 14 Americans killed in Hamas terror attack
Bought and paid for by the American Tax Payer.
Still waiting by the way, for the Worthless GOP congress to bring impeachment charges against this pathetic TRAITOR and remove him from office.
14 AMericans killed with numerous others now about to be ransomed, all the wile the Iranians arm Hamas even more with the $6 billion Joe gave them in a hostage swap so one sided that even a mental midget could figure out that the Biden crime family got a large kickback piece of that action.
AND what about Harris? WITH all the evil we’re now seeing from HAMAS LOVING BLM, and her FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING them, where are the calls from the GOP TO OUST her!?
The Hamas terrorist wives and women who have been made aware of the Israeli Women being raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies by their men are fleeing across the Egyptian border by the thousands, having been warned by the Israelis to do just that. Rumor has it from witnesses that many who look back have already been turned into pillars of salt. Can the fire and brimstone be far behind? Don’t forget to salinize Tlaib, and Karine Jean-Pierre before returning to Paradise. As for Kamala Harris, that salty dog lost her own taste and flavor years ago, to become a pillar of salt every time she looks back to Joe for comfort, or stands behind him at a press conference. Sodom and Gomorrah like the destruction about to take place in Gaza City is the new Democrat version of Progressive Paradise. It won’t end well for any of them, or any of us if we continue to allow ourselves to be deceived.
AND what about Harris? WITH all the evil we’re now seeing from HAMAS LOVING BLM, and her FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING them, where are the calls from the GOP TO OUST her!?
Horizontal Harris is not a concern. This election was stolen. If the worthless GOP pursued this, Horizontal along with Brandon would be removed and the rightful president would be re-instated. Horizontal and Brandon belong in prison, not in Washington. If the worthless GOP pursued this… which they wont.
The GOP needs to persue the stolen election like the Israelis are persuing Hamas. Death to the American and Jewsih concepts of denial that slays freedoms and truth that end up only in casualties for the people of the good. who continue to lose elections like the Israeli ‘s continue to lose lives. Unless they do, the only new horizons of Conservative victories will remain as unproductive as horizontal Harris has displayed. and offered in example. It’s time for the people of goodness to go upward and onward, not horizontally across the isle with bad business as usual that keeps the Democrat political American terrorists in places of power to live to destroy another day.
Democrat Socialist, President Joe Biden, -I will wait untill my handlers tell me what to do, I don’t have a clue !
Frankly the American people could care less how offended Joe Biden pretends to be, all the while getting rich off of kickbacks from Iranians for the arming of their terrorist organizations with $80 billion in American weapons left behind in Afghanistan to the terrorists to sell abroad for their planned purposes of evil. Just how much has he personally enriched the Iranians in oil revenues by removing Trump sanctions of the sale of their Iranian oil, and driving up the cost of the energy his administration deprives America of, using fake environMENTAL reasons to enrich his own family at the same time the Iranian Mullahs have their terrorist funds filled and overflowing for this currently Iranian funded attack on Israel? Shame on the American media who allows these deceptions to continue. Perhaps when the Biden welcomed tens of thousands of traitorous 5th columnist he allowed to enter our borders lets loose the Drug Cartel Kraken of their own death dealing attacks on our innocent citizens funded by the billions in drug profits that Joe ignores even while his own son shoots it up his nose, maybe just then the American media whose own children get beheaded will wakeup and begin to speak the truth,,,, a day late, but never a Biden crime family dollar short. Biden will stand with the Jews about as long as it takes for his illegally entered terroist Muslim population get large enough to out vote the American Jews.
what were those 14 and the others doing there? (If part of the war, that’s what happens in wars)
They are all dual citizens, US/Israel, who were LIVING there..
All lives are precious – even HAMAS civilians. As for Slo Joe – please take a long hike on a very, very long pier. Please don’t bother anymore us with your “words of wisdom”. Two points 1) they aren’t your words and 2) nobody cares what you say.