By MATTHEW LEE and AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the weekend assault by Hamas militants on Israel because the deadliest day for Jews for the reason that Holocaust because the variety of U.S. residents killed within the combating ticked as much as no less than 22.
“This attack was a campaign of pure cruelty — not just hate, but pure cruelty — against the Jewish people,” Biden advised Jewish leaders gathered on the White House.
Beyond the 22 recognized to have been killed, the State Department stated no less than 17 extra Americans stay unaccounted for in a conflict that has already claimed greater than 2,200 lives on either side. A “handful” of U.S. residents are among the many estimated 150 hostages captured by Hamas militants throughout their stunning weekend assault on Israel, White House nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby stated Wednesday.
Signs of U.S. assist for Israel have been seen throughout the administration, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken touring there for conferences, Biden denouncing antisemitism in America and the U.S. navy shifting a second plane service towards the Mediterranean Sea as a part of efforts to forestall the conflict from spilling over right into a extra harmful regional battle.
Kirby stated the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its ships could be an “available asset” if obligatory. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most superior plane service, and its strike group have already arrived within the Eastern Mediterranean.
The assault has raised questions concerning the position of Iran, the principle sponsor of Hamas, and whether or not it was straight concerned within the operation. But the U.S. has collected info that implies senior Iranian authorities officers have been caught off guard by the multipronged assault, in keeping with a U.S. official who wasn’t licensed to debate the matter publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity. That piece of intelligence has knowledgeable White House officers publicly asserting that it has not but seen proof of direct involvement by Iranians within the planning or execution of the Hamas assault.
“We haven’t seen anything that tells they have specifically cut checks to support this set of attacks, or that they were involved in the training. And obviously, this required quite a bit of training by these terrorists,” Kirby stated, although he added that the U.S. will proceed to have a look at the intelligence “and see if that leads us to different conclusion.”
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with a prime political rival to create a war-time Cabinet, establishing a level of unity as the federal government there faces public strain to topple Hamas. Israel continued harmful airstrikes in Gaza, the place a possible floor offensive would probably end in numerous casualties on either side of the battle.
With many airways suspending industrial flights out and in of Israel due to the continued rocket and missile exchanges, Kirby stated the United States was exploring “a range of other options” to help Americans who need to depart, showing to depart open the potential of a U.S.-assisted evacuation.
Kirby stated the administration was nonetheless in talks with Israel and Egypt to attempt to prepare protected passage for Gaza’s civilians. “These people are victims, too,” he stated. “They didn’t ask Hamas to do this.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, Biden sought to attach the Hamas assaults on to many years of antisemitism and violence endured by Jews around the globe.
“This attack has brought to the surface the painful memories and scars left by a millennium of antisemitism and genocide against the Jewish people,” Biden stated. “We have to be crystal clear: There is no justification for terrorism, no excuse and the type of terrorism that was exhibited here is just beyond the pale, beyond the pale.”
Biden stated he and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by cellphone on Wednesday with Netanyahu. It was no less than the fourth name between Biden and Netanyahu since Saturday’s assault.
“The United States has Israel’s back and we’re going to be working on this through the day and beyond,” Biden stated.
Later within the day, whereas addressing Jewish leaders on the White House, Biden stated he had tasked homeland safety and regulation enforcement leaders “to work intensively with our Jewish community partners.”
“We’re also going to condemn and combat antisemitism at every single turn, every turn,” Biden stated. “The past few days have been a solemn reminder that hate never goes away.” It can go underground, he stated, nevertheless it doesn’t go away.
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Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Ellen Knickmeyer and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”