Strongly despising the outfit of Hamas for perpetrating a wave of devastating attacks on Israel, US President Joe Biden Tuesday termed the scathing incident as an “unadulterated evil unleashed on the world” while confirming the death of at least 14 American citizens in the incident.
The series of attacks launched by the Gaza Strip based terror outfit Hamas killed hundreds of people in the biggest escalation in the conflict in decades.
Israel too has retaliated with a wave of air strikes on Gaza, killing over 800 people.
What did President Biden say?
Denunciating the atrocious act that killed civilians and children,US President Joe Biden emphasised that the act was a reflection of Hamas’ stated purpose to annihilate the state of Israel and kill Jewish people.
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“There are moments in this life – and I mean this literally – when pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend. The bloody hands of the terrorist organisation Hamas – a group whose stated purpose for being is to kill Jews,” Biden said in his address to the nation from the White House.
The US and Israel is widely known to share a friendly bilateral relationship and the US president has earlier vowed his administration's "rock solid and unwavering" support to Israel. The United States has launched a major global diplomatic drive to garner support for Israel and take necessary action against Palestinian militant group Hamas.
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Biden said the US has also enhanced its military force posture in the region.
“This was an act of sheer evil. More than 1,000 civilians were slaughtered – not just killed, slaughtered – in Israel. Among them, at least 14 American citizens were killed. Parents butchered (who were) using their bodies to try to protect their children. Stomach-turning reports of babies being killed. Entire families slain. Young people were massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace,” he said.
Asserting that Hamas’ action in Israel was terrorism, Biden said they resemble the “worst rampages of ISIS”.
“It’s abhorrent. The brutality of Hamas – this bloodthirstiness – brings to mind the worst, the worst rampages of ISIS. This is terrorism. But sadly, for the Jewish people, it’s not new,” he said.
“This attack has brought to the surface painful memories and the scars left by a millennia of antisemitism and genocide of the Jewish people. So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack. There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse,” the US president said.
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In his address, Biden said that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination. Its stated purpose is the annihilation of the state of Israel and the murder of Jewish people, and added that they use Palestinian civilians as human shields, he said.
“Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed with no regard to who pays the price. The loss of innocent life is heartbreaking. Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond,” Biden said.
Biden also added that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the third time since Hamas’ attack. “I told him if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming,” he said.
