Washington : US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned the militant group Hamas for sheer evil for its shocking multi-pronged attack on Israel launched from the Gaza Strip that has killed hundreds of civilians, including at least 14 American citizens.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation on the ground. Biden spoke out of the actions he and other allies have taken to support Israel in the aftermath of the attack and expressed his horror about sickening reports of torture inflicted by militants on innocent civilians.
Our hearts may be broken but our resolve is clear," Biden said. He added, Let there be no doubt. The United States has Israel's back. We'll make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today, tomorrow as we always have.
Biden, in his public remarks and statements since Hamas launched its attacks, has repeatedly emphasised his shock over the breadth and brutality of the Hamas assault a blitz by land, sea and air that surprised Israeli and US intelligence and that has killed hundreds Israelis and left even more wounded.
Retaliatory strikes by Israel on the Gaza Strip have also left hundreds of dead and wounded Palestinians in the blockaded 141-square mile area, one the poorest places in the world. The death toll was expected to grow as Israel pummelled Gaza with airstrikes and sent tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing into UN shelters.
Biden said he has directed his team to share intelligence and military experts to consult and advise Israelis. He also confirmed that the US believes that Americans are among dozens of hostages taken by Hamas. As president I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world, Biden said.
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The White House on Monday confirmed that it has already begun delivering critically needed munitions and military equipment to Israel, and the Pentagon was reviewing its inventories to see what else can be sent quickly to boost its ally in the war against Hamas.
The Ford carrier strike group has arrived in the far Eastern Mediterranean, within range to provide a host of air support or long-range strike options for Israel if requested, but also to surge US military presence there to prevent the war from spilling over into a more dangerous regional conflict, a US official told The Associated Press.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the arrival ahead of an announcement. The Pentagon has said that the US warplanes, destroyers and cruisers that sailed with the Ford will conduct maritime and air operations which could include intelligence collection, interdictions and long-range strikes.
Along with the Ford, the US is sending the cruiser USS Normandy and destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt, and the US is augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters travelling with him Tuesday to a Ukraine contact group meeting in Brussels that a small group of US special operations forces is also working with the Israelis to help with planning and intelligence.
Biden on Monday in a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak underscored the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people and their decades-long push for sovereignty. But the leaders also sought to separate the Palestinians' aspirations from the appalling acts of terrorism" by Hamas.
Americans have had a gloomy outlook on Biden's performance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Six in 10 Americans (61%) disapproved of how Biden was handling the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, according to an August poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research.
About one-third (35%) of US adults approved, which was slightly lower than Biden's overall approval rating of 42% in the same poll.
