Biden Confirms 14 Americans Killed in Hamas Attack; Others Held Hostage

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday confirmed that 14 Americans were among the more than 1,000 people who died in Israel over the weekend during coordinated attacks by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.

Biden also acknowledged Tuesday that Hamas may be holding Americans hostage. At a separate briefing with reporters at the White House, Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security advisor, said 20 or more Americans remain missing, though it’s uncertain how many are hostages and how many are simply unaccounted for amid the carnage.

“There are moments … and I mean this literally, when a pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world,” Biden said as he stood beneath the portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room.

“This is terrorism,” he said. “This is abhorrent. 

“The brutality of Hamas, its blood thirstiness, brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS,” he added during remarks that last just 10 minutes but were laced, time and again, with words like “slaughter” and “massacre” and “rape” and “fear.”

Hamas militants stormed into Israel on foot, by boat and by paraglider on Saturday, killing hundreds of residents in homes and neighborhoods near the Gaza border, and at the music festival that was being held to celebrate peace in conjunction with the holiday of Simchat Torah.

Simchat Torah marks the end of the annual Torah reading and the beginning of the cycle for the coming year. It is celebrated with singing, dancing and merry processions of people carrying Torahs and children waving flags.

Instead, this holiday will be remembered as the day of an unprecedented surprise attack and the barrage of rockets that touched some Israeli towns that had remained unscathed by conflict for decades.

Though the details are still fluid, it is believed Hamas gunmen struck from as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza strip. In addition to the scores upon scores of dead, the Israeli government says about 150 soldiers and civilians are being held hostage.

Immediately after the initial attack, as Israeli forces began to pound the Gaza strip from the air, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his nation is at war.

Later he vowed the nation’s military will use all of its strength to destroy the terrorist organization’s capabilities.

At the same time, however, he reminded his citizens that wars take time.

“It will be difficult,” he said.

Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have spoken with Netanyahu multiple times since the attacks, each time reiterating the United States’ unwavering support of Israel.

“This attack brought to the surface painful memories, the scars left by a millennia of antisemitism and the genocide of the Jewish people,” Biden said from the State Dining Room.

“At this moment, we must be crystal clear,” he said. “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,” he continued. “There’s no justification for terrorism. There’s no excuse. 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. They use Palestinian civilians as human shields. 

“Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed with no regard to who pays the price,” the president added.

Biden went on to say his national security team has been in “near constant communication” with their Israeli partners and partners all across the region and the world.

“From the moment this crisis began, we’ve been surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors, to replenish Iron Dome, [the Israeli defense initiative],” the president said.

Biden also said the administration has been consulting closely with Congress throughout this crisis.

“When Congress returns, I will ask them to take urgent action to fund the national security requirements of our critical partners. This is not about party and politics. It is about the security of our world, the security of the United States of America.”

In regard to the hostages, the president said he’s directed members of his administration to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the nation to consult and advise their Israeli counterparts “on hostage recovery and recovery efforts.” 

“Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world,” he said.

Biden also noted the Defense Department has moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group into the eastern Mediterranean and said he stands ready to move additional assets into the region as needed.

The strike group includes the USS Gerald R. Ford itself, with its eight squadrons of attack and support aircraft, and the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy, as well as the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.

U.S. Central Command also confirmed that efforts to increase U.S. posture continue, including the rapid movement of U.S. Air Force F-15s, F-16s and A-10s to augment existing fighter squadrons in the region.

“The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, in a written statement.

“Let me say this again,” the president said, reiterating remarks he made over the weekend. “Any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation, I have one word for you: Don’t. Don’t. Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear.”

The president said he has spoken to the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom to discuss the latest developments and “coordinate our united response.”

“This comes on top of days of engaging with partners across the [Middle East] region,” he said.

Biden also said the administration is taking steps in cities and communities across the United States to “step up security around centers of Jewish life.”

At the same time, he said, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation “are working closely with state and local law enforcement and Jewish community partners to identify and disrupt any domestic threat that could emerge in connection with these horrific attacks.”

“This is a moment for the United States to come together to grieve with those who are mourning. Let’s be real clear. There is no place for hate in America. Not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody. We reject terrorism. We condemn indiscriminate evil, just as we’ve always done. That’s what America stands for.”

In related news, Biden is dispatching Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel in a show of support after the deadly attacks.

Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday “to engage our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground, and how we can continue to best support them in their fight against the terrorists who launched these horrific attacks,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said. 

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue