President Joe Biden will deliver remarks from the White House on Tuesday afternoon following an unprecedented attack from Hamas on Israel, according to a White House official.
Biden’s remarks, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, come days after Hamas fighters raided southern parts of the country, killing hundreds and taking hostages in a quickly evolving war.
In a statement Monday, Biden said that 11 Americans were killed in the conflict, adding that “it is likely” that some Americans were among the hostages being held by Hamas.
“We are seeing the immense scale and reach of this tragedy,” Biden said. “In this moment of heartbreak, the American people stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israelis. We remember the pain of being attacked by terrorists at home, and Americans across the country stand united against these evil acts that have once more claimed innocent American lives. It is an outrage.”
NBC News reported earlier that the Biden administration is sending ships from the Navy’s USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of Israel. The effort is also meant to serve as a clear message to Iran to “stand down,” according to a U.S. official, who said the U.S. also plans to keep in place some F-16 and A-10 fighter jets.
In his statement Monday, Biden also said that he reaffirmed to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States would “continue to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its people,” as Israel battles militants and has launched deadly retaliatory airstrikes on the Palestinian coastal enclave after its defense minister called for a “full siege” of Gaza.
The IDF said it had gathered 300,000 reservists amid speculation that Israel would launch a ground operation in Gaza.
The conflict’s death toll has reached more than 1,000 people, including at least 700 people in Israel, according to the military, and 687 people in Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
