2023 Israel-Hamas war have been ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas started on 7 October 2023, with a coordinated surprise offensive on Israel. The attack began with a barrage of at least 3,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip against Israel. In parallel, some 2,500 Palestinian militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in neighboring Israeli communities. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed, including 260 people who were massacred at a music festival. Unarmed civilian hostages and captured Israeli soldiers were taken to the Gaza Strip, including women and children. The surprise attack was met with Israeli retaliatory strikes,[ and Israel formally declared war on Hamas a day later.
Israel began clearing Hamas forces from affected areas and conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which have killed 2,339 Palestinians as of 15 October. The United Nations reported that around 1 million Palestinians, nearly half of Gaza's population, have been internally displaced. Fears of a humanitarian crisis were heightened after Israel cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, which had already been blockaded by both Egypt and Israel. Israel sent messages urging 1.1 million Gazans to evacuate northern Gaza, while Hamas called on residents to stay in their homes and blocked roads leading south. The United Nations and many countries called for an immediate ceasefire. Human rights groups called for the intake of Gazan refugees caused by the war.
At least 44 countries denounced Hamas and called its conduct terrorism. In contrast, countries across the Middle East called for deescalation and decried Israel's decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories (i.e., Gaza and West Bank) as the root cause. Iran threatened that if Israel did not immediately stop the war in Gaza, many other fronts in the war would open and Israel would suffer "a huge earthquake".
On 8 and 9 October there was an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces after Hezbollah militants fired rockets into Israel from Lebanon and Israel responded with airstrikes in Lebanon.
The United States deployed two aircraft carrier battle groups to the Eastern Mediterranean, the United Kingdom declared it would send warships and aircraft, and Germany began supplying military aid to Israel. There have been widespread civilian deaths, and a panel of UN independent experts along with human rights groups have accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes.
U.S. Congressional Delegation Press Conference Live from Tel Aviv OCTOBER 15, 202
Streamed live on Oct 15, 2023
from Tel Aviv: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Bill Cassidy, Jacky Rosen, Mitt Romney, & Mark Kelly hold a press conference.
OCTOBER 13, 2023
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel
Oct. 13, 2023
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
STAFF: Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us. The minister of defense and secretary of defense will now deliver statements to the press, and we'll have a few questions at the end.
Please, Minister.
ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YOAV GALLANT: U.S. Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin, when you said that you stand with Israel, you showed up. You stand here with us. Mr. Secretary, you have shown us what it means to be an ally, to be a friend, to be a brother.
The secretary and I have just left the war room. We sat where decisions are made on Israeli security, on our most sensitive interests. I briefed the secretary on strategic developments in our region, and the chief of staff together with the IDF leadership shared our operations.
Defense cooperation and U.S. support in the Pentagon, in the White House, in the Congress ensure freedom of operation and enforce our capabilities. In fact, today we will receive the second aircraft carrying essential munition to the IDF.
U.S. deployment of assets on land, in air and at sea sends a strong message to both partners and enemies in the region. On behalf of Israel's defense establishment and on behalf of our citizens, Mr. Secretary, thank you very much.
Let me remind you all, our audience, who is the enemy? Our neighbors is Hamas, the ISIS of Gaza, an organization enjoying the Iranian payroll. I cannot let the world forget the brutal attacks Hamas (inaudible) always conduct against Israeli children, Israeli women, Israeli elderly and entire families. Murder, rape, kidnapping — this is what we face in this war. This is a war on the existence of Israel as a prosperous state, as a democratic state, as the homeland of the Jewish people. This is a war on freedom and on our common values, and we are on the frontline. We will keep fighting and we will win this war. We will prevail.
With your permission, Mr. Secretary, I'll say a few words in Hebrew.
(UNTRANSLATED)
MIN. GALLANT: Thank you, sir.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Yoav, we've been in close touch, but it's good to see you again in person, and it's good to be back in Israel, even during such terrible days.
As the U.S. secretary of defense, I am here in person to make something crystal-clear: America's support for Israel is ironclad, and I extend my deepest condolences to the Israeli people, for those killed or wounded in this terrible slaughter by Hamas.
I'm also here in solidarity with all the families still living the waking nightmare of not knowing the fate of their loved ones, and we will continue to coordinate closely with Israel to help secure the release of the innocent men, women and children in the clutches of Hamas, including American citizens.
Now, Israel is a small country, a place where everybody knows everybody, and in times of trial, the intimacy of your society deepens the intimacy of your grief. But that's not a weakness; it is a profound strength, and in times of testing, Israelis know what to do.
Over this awful week, we've seen Israeli hotels and homes take in those who've had to flee. We've seen long lineups to donate blood. We've seen WhatsApps explode with messages as people race to support neighbors in anguish.
And perhaps because I'm a retired general, I was especially moved by the story of a retired general named Noam Tibon. His son called him on Saturday from his home near Gaza to say that Hamas terrorists had stormed their kibbutz and were closing in, and the retired general jumped into his car in Tel Aviv and raced toward the combat zone. He linked up with other fighters and rescued his son, his daughter-in-law and his granddaughters. And when the general arrived at their house, one of his granddaughters just said, "Grandpa is here." And these are rays of hope in a terrible week, and in times like these, sometimes the best thing that a friend can do is just to show up and to get to work.
Now, this is no time for neutrality, or for false equivalence, or for excuses for the inexcusable. There is never any justification for terrorism, and that's especially true after this rampage by Hamas. And anyone who wants lasting peace and security for this region must condemn and isolate Hamas. Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian people or their legitimate hopes for dignity, security and statehood and peace alongside Israel.
As a former commander of Central Command, the deliberate cruelty of Hamas vividly reminds me of ISIS: bloodthirsty, fanatical and hateful, and like ISIS, Hamas has nothing to offer but zealotry and bigotry and death.
The world has just witnessed a great evil: the deadliest attack on civilians in the history of the state of Israel and the bloodiest day in Jewish history since the end of the Holocaust. So make no mistake: The United States will make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and Israel has a right to protect its people.
You know, in their many phone calls this week, President Biden has told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the United States would also respond swiftly and decisively to such a massive terrorist assault. And the president also underscored that democracies like ours are stronger and more secure when we uphold the laws of war. Terrorists like Hamas deliberately target civilians, but democracies don't. This is a time for resolve and not revenge, for purpose and not panic and for security and not surrender.
At President Biden's direction, we have moved urgently to respond to this crisis and to send a strong message of deterrence. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is now in the region, led by the largest aircraft carrier in the world. We've augmented U.S. fighter aircraft squadrons in the Middle East, and the U.S. Department of Defense stands fully ready to deploy additional assets, if necessary.
As President Biden has said, for any country, for any group or anyone thinking about trying to take advantage of this atrocity to try to widen the conflict or to spill more blood, we have just one word: Don't. The world is watching and so are we, and we aren't going anywhere. We will remain in close contact with our valued partners across the region, and security assistance from the Department of Defense is already rapidly flowing into Israel. That includes munitions and air defense capabilities and other equipment and resources. It also includes more interceptors for Iron Dome to save Israeli lives, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to keep itself secure.
Now, Hamas attacked at a time of global challenge, but the United States is the most powerful country in the world, and we remain fully able to project power and uphold our commitments and direct resources to multiple theaters. So we will stand with Israel even as we stand with Ukraine. The United States can walk and chew gum at the same time, and U.S. security assistance to Israel will flow in at the speed of war, and as this harrowing week draws to a close and as Shabbat draws near, we stand together and we stand strong. The United States has Israel's back, and that is not negotiable, and it never will be.
And after this terrible week, I wish you and all the people of Israel Shabbat Shalom. Thank you.
STAFF: We'll be starting with the questions starting with (inaudible), Channel 13.
Q: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, your presence in the Eastern Mediterranean clearly projects power, but should Israel be attacked from the north, from Hezbollah in Lebanon, will you be willing to exercise your force and join the fighting?
SEC. AUSTIN: You know, I ordered additional assets to the region to bolster deterrence, and again, the message that we would send to any country or group thinking to take advantage of this situation and widen the conflict: Don't.
I won't speculate on anything that could happen in the future. I will just tell you clearly that the United States will continue to support Israel's right to defend itself.
Q: Thank you, and please, a question to the defense minister.
(UNTRANSLATED)
MIN. GALLANT: (UNTRANSLATED)
STAFF: Matt Seyler, ABC?
Q: Thank you both for doing this.
Secretary Austin, the U.S. administration has told Israel to avoid causing civilian casualties and to uphold what you called just now the laws of war. Given how Hamas fights, deliberately launching operations from dense civilian areas, how could Israel permanently end the terrorist threat posed by Hamas without inevitably risking many civilian lives? And as we watch the civilian death toll in Gaza rise while Israel conducts its counterattacks and perhaps a ground invasion, do you believe the moral culpability for those Palestinian deaths belongs to Israel, Hamas or both?
SEC. AUSTIN: I'll leave it to Israel to talk about its potential plans and its approach to conducting operations.
Matt, I'll just say again that Israel has a right to defend itself, and we will support Israel's right to defend itself. We will continue to flow in security assistance.
And I've worked with Israeli forces over the years, over many years. As you know, I wore a uniform for 41 years. My experience in working with the Israeli forces is they are professional, they're disciplined and they are focused on the right things. And so I expect that going forward, they will continue to exhibit that same degree of professionalism that we've seen in the past.
But you know, Matt, we've seen this before. The international community fought ISIS who in some cases was embedded deeply in built-up areas, and that international coalition fought valiantly and protected civilians and created corridors for humanitarian movement even in the midst of a pretty significant fight. So again, this is a professional force. It is well led and I have every expectation that it will be disciplined.
Q: Thank you.
And for Minister Gallant, have you seen evidence that Iran was directly involved in planning or executing the recent attack on your country, or any signs that either Iran or its proxies are seeking to exploit the situation? And if you do come to see signs of an imminent attack on Israel, are you in favor of preemptive strikes?
MIN. GALLANT: Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas is one axis, an axis of evil. Everything is directed generally from Iran. The permission is given by Iran. The money is supplied by Iran and the ideas are shaped in Iran. Therefore, it doesn't matter if they give or didn't give a permission, but the idea is an Iranian idea.
As to their actions, future actions of IDF — I will stay confidential for good reasons.
Q: Thank you.
STAFF: (Soleman Massouda).
Q: Mr. Secretary, thank you for this. House Foreign Affairs Chair Mike McCaul said that we know that Egypt had warned Israel three days prior to that event, like something like this could happen. We don't know how we missed it. We don't know how Israel missed it. So can you tell us what really the U.S. knew before this attack?
SEC. AUSTIN: What I can tell you is that if we had known or if we know of a pending attack against an ally, we would clearly inform that ally.
But what we're focused on now, Soleman, is we're focused on making sure that Israel has what it needs to defend its sovereign territory and to protect its citizens. And the minister and I spent a good bit of time talking today about what those requirements are and what we need to do to urgently meet those needs.
Q: (UNTRANSLATED)
MIN. GALLANT: (UNTRANSLATED)
STAFF: And last question, from Tom Squitieri
Q: Thanks for doing this, Mr. Secretary. As you just stated, you were involved in the major effort to stop and eradicate ISIS. When you talk to the minister and others and that experience courses through you, what kind of lessons learned do you feel might be helpful in this case, especially dealing with that whole urban situation that you just referred to, the proposed — the evacuation of civilians from Gaza, those kind of challenges?
What kind of ideas and thoughts do you have that you can share, please?
SEC. AUSTIN: Well, thanks, Tom. I would tell you that, encountering ISIS, I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye. It was truly evil. And what we've seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level. And so that's the first thing that we need to remember and consider.
There are a number of things that we talked about today — there are some lessons learned that we'd be more than happy to share with our allies here, in terms of operating effectively in dense urban terrain, creating safe humanitarian corridors, making sure that we're thoughtful about how we shape the battle and making sure that, you know, our objectives are well-defined and so we'll continue to share the lessons that we've learned over the years.
And of course, as the Israelis prosecute this fight, we will learn lessons from them. And so I think it's this great teamwork that has served us both well over the years, and we'll continue that.
Q: Mr. Minister, there's been some confusion over the 24-hour deadline that Israel announced to — for civilians in Gaza to move south, to evacuate and move south. There was a 24-hour deadline initially reported, and then there's been reports that Israel has modified that, have left it open; in other words, not sticking to 24 hours of a deadline.
Would you please clarify, specifically, is there going to be a deadline? What can you tell us about the deadline? And what will Israel do, if anything, to help civilians move?
Some of the people have said, "That's Hamas's problem; it's not our problem."
MIN. GALLANT: Well, first of all, I would like to remind all of us what happened less than a week ago. Twelve hundred Israelis were brutally murdered, raped, burned alive. Kids were tied one to the other and shot in the head. This is Hamas. This is the ISIS of Gaza. And as the secretary said, they took evil to another level. That's the first issue.
Second, Israel never and ever, will not shoot civilians on purpose. Therefore we are asking all the civilians in Gaza City to go south of Gaza. And the reason is that because we don't want to harm them.
The camouflage of the terrorists is the civil population. Therefore we need to separate them. So those who want to save their life, please go south. We are going to destroy Hamas infrastructures, Hamas headquarters, Hamas military establishment, and take these phenomena out of Gaza and out of the Earth. They cannot live among human civilized people.
Q: But 24 hours — is that deadline still holding, the 24 hours?
STAFF: Thank you very much. We're done for today. Thank you.
OCTOBER 12, 2023
Secretary Blinken press availability
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good evening, everyone. I came to Israel bearing a simple message: The United States stands with Israel and with its people – today, tomorrow, every day. In my meetings with the prime minister, with President Herzog, with the ministers in Israel’s newly formed national emergency government, we discussed in detail what Israel needs to defend itself, its people, and how the United States can help to meet those needs. We’re delivering on those needs as we speak, and we will work closely and swiftly with Congress to meet them as they evolve.
This afternoon, I met with families of American citizens that Hamas has killed or taken hostage. The enormity of their anguish, their loss, is immeasurable. For the families of the missing, there’s an unrelenting agony of not knowing the fate of their loved ones – something that I don’t think most of us can truly understand, truly contemplate, if you’re not in their shoes. No one should have to endure what they’re going through. There are so many families like them. The United States is one of more than 30 countries where family members, friends, entire communities are being forced to go through this wrenching experience because of Hamas’s disdain for human life and basic human dignity.
We’re doing everything we can to secure the release of the hostages, working closely with our Israeli partners. I brought with me to Israel our Deputy Special Representative for Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen, who joined my meetings with the families and will stay on the ground here to support the efforts to free their loved ones.
I also had a chance to see up close the genuinely inspiring solidarity of the Israeli people in the wake of Hamas’s attacks when I visited one of the many sites where citizens have swiftly organized efforts to collect, to sort, to distribute donations to those in need, including many families who have been displaced from the south. I had a chance to meet with some of the volunteers – several of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens. One young couple told me how they narrowly escaped with their own lives when Hamas terrorists attacked the Supernova music festival. They told me about their friends who were not fortunate, who were killed at that festival; others taken hostage or still missing.
In our time here in Israel, everywhere we’ve gone we’ve met people who’ve been touched in one way or another by Hamas’s bloody hand. A loved one, a friend, a classmate, a neighbor, a colleague – killed, maimed, missing. We encountered a nation knit together by grief, but also a nation united in resolve. The United States shares that resolve. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel.
From here I’ll go on to Jordan, where I’ll meet with His Majesty King Abdullah, and with Palestinian Authority President Abbas. And then over the coming days we’ll visit with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar.
Across each of these engagements, we’ll continue pressing countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to use their leverage with Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages. We’ll also discuss how we can continue to make real our affirmative vision for a region that’s more peaceful, more prosperous, more secure, more integrated. And in fact, that is the choice, and the choice in some ways has been made even more stark by the actions of Hamas on Saturday.
One path forward is a region that comes together, integrated, normalized relations among its countries, people working in common purpose to common benefit. More peaceful, more stable. Then there’s the path that Hamas has shown in the stark, clear light: terror, destruction, nihilism. The choice could not be more clear. We know the choice that we’re making, our partners are making. We have work to do to carry it through.
In all that I did today, I was supported by an exceptional team here in Israel. It’s been doing crucial work in incredibly difficult conditions, led by a remarkable charge d’affaires, Stephanie Hallett. Stephanie is doing an extraordinary job. We also look forward to welcoming our future ambassador, Jack Lew, to Israel.
As many here know, Hamas launched its attack on Simchat Torah. This is the day that Jews celebrate finishing the reading of the Torah. This Saturday, Jews around the world will chant the first words of the book of Genesis. They’ll read that in the beginning, there was darkness; and then there was light. That the first person was alone until a partner joined them.
I’m standing here today alongside our Israeli friends and all those who reject terror to help find the glimmers of light, even in this moment of deep darkness, and to make clear as that as long as there’s a United States, Israel will never be alone.
With that, happy to take some questions.
MR MILLER: The first question goes to Shaun Tandon with AFP.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good evening.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Shaun.
QUESTION: Could I just ask you, to begin with, Prime Minister Netanyahu has shared what he’s – what are very gruesome photos – he said that he shared them with you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah.
QUESTION: I know they’re very disturbing to look at, but I wanted to see, first of all, what you – what your reaction was to those.
And if I may, like, while understanding and acknowledging the great suffering that’s been experienced by Israelis, there’s a lot of concern in some quarters about the situation in Gaza as well – people looking for food in light of the cutoff. Was that discussed at all in terms of the humanitarian situation in Gaza? Was there any call for easing some of these conditions or for restraint, as we expect a ground offensive?
And if you’ll allow me just one thing that’s been reported just recently, there was a report in The Washington Post that the United States and Qatar have decided to slow down or suspend the access that Iran has to the $6 billion that’s been put in the special account. Could you say if this is accurate? And if it is, could you explain whether this is a slowdown or something more formal than that? Thanks very much.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Great. Thanks, Shaun. So we did see photographs, videos, that the Israeli Government shared with us. Some, I think, has actually already been seen in public media. Others were new to me and, I think, new to our team. It’s hard to find the right words. It’s beyond what anyone would ever want to imagine, much less actually see and, God forbid, experience. A baby, an infant, riddled with bullets. Soldiers beheaded. Young people burned alive in their cars or in their hideaway rooms. I could go on, but it’s simply depravity in the worst imaginable way. It almost defies comprehension, and as I’ve been saying, to me, it, in the most immediate future, hearkens back to ISIS and some of the very things we saw when it was on its rampage that, thankfully, was stopped.
So I think for any human being to see this, it’s really beyond almost anything that we can comprehend, digest. And I’d just add that when you see this, you try to imagine – maybe not try, you can’t help but imagine – yourself, your family, your loved ones, your friends, in that situation, in that predicament. And maybe the best word for it for me is overwhelming.
I think what it’s done is, as I said, united a country in profound grief, but also united a country in resolve. And it’s imperative that the rest of us share that resolve. I said this earlier: This is a moment for moral clarity. This is a moment where everyone needs to make clear that there is revulsion, disgust, and a determination, a determination not to allow this to go forward.
So images are worth a thousand words. These images may be worth a million.
On the humanitarian situation in Gaza, I think it’s, first, important to remember a fundamental issue that makes this complicated. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields – something that’s not new, something that they’ve always done – intentionally putting civilians in harm’s way to protect – to try to protect themselves, or protect their infrastructure, or protect their weapons. So that’s one of the basic facts that Israel has to deal with. And of course, civilians should not be used in any way as the targets of military operations. They are not the target of Israel’s operations.
We did discuss ways to address the humanitarian needs of people living in Gaza, to protect them from harm while Israel conducts its legitimate security operations to defend itself from terrorism and to try to ensure that this never happens again. We also talked about possibilities for safe passage for civilians who want to leave or get out of the way in Gaza, and that’s a conversation, a discussion, that we will pursue in the coming days, including with some of the countries that we’ll be visiting. So this is important, and this is an area for focus.
With regard to the $6 billion, first, again, it’s always worth repeating the facts, because, unfortunately, the facts get lost along the way. The money that Iran accrued in bank accounts, in this case in South Korea, for the sale of its oil was done pursuant to an arrangement established by the previous administration, the Trump administration. None of the funds that have now gone to Qatar have actually been spent or accessed in any way by Iran. Indeed, funds from that account are overseen by the Treasury Department, can only be dispensed for humanitarian goods – food, medicine, medical equipment – and never touch Iranian hands. We have strict oversight of the funds, and we retain the right to freeze them.
MR MILLER: Next question goes to Gil Tamary with Channel 13.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. Gil Tamary Channel 13 Israel. The President compared, rightfully, Hamas horrendous massacre to ISIS. Can you provide assurance to Israel that the Biden administration will not attempt to halt Israel effort until the goal of eliminating Hamas from Gaza is completely achieved, regardless of how long it may take?
And with your permission, second question. If Hizballah opens a second front in the north, can we expect that if needed the U.S. will use its military assets in the region to fight against Hizballah together with the IDF?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. With regard to the first question, the President’s been very clear, I’ve been very clear – we stand with Israel. We stand with Israel in its determination to defend its people, defend its country. We stand with Israel in its determination to do everything possible to ensure that what happened on Saturday never happens again. And in that determination we’re, of course, as you know, providing assistance as requested by Israel for its efforts. That will continue, and we’re working closely with Congress to make sure that Israel has what it needs to do what it must.
With regard to the second front, as I mentioned earlier, it’s our determination and that of Israel as well that there not be a second front or a third front. And we are working as hard as we can, working with other partners in the region, to try to ensure that that’s the case. The President has also been very clear, President Biden. He’s been very clear that no one, state or non-state actor, should try to take advantage of this moment. And he’s backed up that warning with a deployment of our largest carrier group, the Gerald R. Ford, as well as, again, making sure that Israel has what it needs and that we also have appropriate assets in place. Beyond that, I’m not going to speculate on future events.
MR MILLER: For the next question, Ed Wong with The New York Times.
QUESTION: Hi. Thank you, Secretary Blinken.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Ed.
QUESTION: Many people have likened the horrendous violence by Hamas to the attacks of 9/11 in the U.S. As you know, the U.S. earned lots of goodwill after those attacks, and there was – were many expressions of solidarity for the U.S. from around the world. But soon afterwards, the U.S. squandered that goodwill when it began its invasion of Iraq. And now decades onward, in retrospect, many people think that the most lasting consequences of 9/11 were the two wars that many Americans deem were disasters in hindsight. And so I wonder what lessons might you have for Israel, as a friend of Israel, looking back at the aftermath of 9/11?
Second, I wonder whether your team has an assessment of what Hamas’s goals were in carrying out the attacks and whether it has gotten any closer to those goals with these attacks?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Ed. First, let me say this, with regard to 9/11 – if you look at this in proportion to the size of Israel’s population, this is the equivalent of ten 9/11s. That’s how big and how devastating this attack has been. And of course, each of these situations is very different and it’s important to keep that in mind. Of course, we’re always trying to draw the lessons from our – from past experience, as they may or may not be applicable to what we or our partners are doing now.
And of course, we’re in very close conversation with Israel about the work it’s undertaking, as I said, to make sure it can defend itself, defend its citizens, and to the best of its ability ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Those are the objectives. And, again, I’ll leave the operational details to Israel and simply say again, that as we have these discussions, we’re looking at past experiences, including many past experiences more immediate to this challenge, including in Gaza and including in the region.
With regard to the goals of Hamas, I think that is a question mostly on which I could speculate but not give you a – any kind of clear and definitive answer. There are a number of possible explanations. We have not heard from them what their goals are. And I have to tell you that in many ways the simplest explanation may be the most compelling: this is pure evil.
There may be second or third-order interests. For example – I’ve noted this before – we’ve been engaged, as you know, in trying to support and advance the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other countries that do not yet have normalized relations with Israel, something that is very challenging, very difficult, but also very possible, and something that would have a profound effect on the region, on the countries in question and on the region – a region that’s been in turmoil for so many decades that through normalization, through greater integration then has a path to much greater stability, much greater peace, much greater opportunity for everyone in the region. Now, who opposes normalization? Hamas, Hizballah, Iran. I think that speaks volumes as well.
MR MILLER: And the final question goes to Christine Rinawi with Al Araby News.
QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, can you discuss what Netanyahu – the need for Israel to commit to international law on the war in Gaza and any more details about the humanitarian corridors in Gaza?
And following on my colleague question, the spokesperson of the White House retracted President Biden’s claim of seeing pictures of beheaded children, but today you mentioned in your press conference about the babies slaughtered and the woman raped. Did you see the evidence of that? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. To the first part of your question, I think you’ve heard the President address this. I’ve also addressed it in different ways, which is to say this: for democracies like the United States, like Israel, it’s vitally important that we respect and follow international law, humanitarian law, the law of war, as applicable. And it’s a standard that we hold ourselves to and it’s a standard that we look to, including if and when we fall short of it.
So this is something that motivates both of us, and of course it’s what distinguishes us and other democracies around the world from terrorist organizations like Hamas, which have absolutely no regard for the rule of law, for humanitarian rules and rights, for any basic standards of human decency. On the contrary, as we were discussing just a few minutes ago, they quite literally and deliberately target civilians, and not just target civilians – target them in the most inhumane ways possible – and at the same time, use them as human shields. So that’s a profound distinction between our countries and a group like Hamas.
When it comes to the photographs, the videos, I described what I saw today. That doesn’t mean it’s the entire universe. We had an opportunity to see some of the photographs and videos. Unfortunately, there are many, many, many others, and every day the world is seeing new evidence of the depravity and inhumanity of Hamas – depravity and inhumanity directed at babies, at small children, at young adults, at elderly people, at people with disabilities. The list goes on, and on a basic human level, how anyone cannot be revolted and cannot reject what they’ve seen and what the world has seen, it’s beyond me. Thank you.
MR MILLER: Thank you all.
-------------------------------
Secretary Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu deliver statements to the press
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Hello, everyone. We are heading, as you know, to Israel, and I’m going with a very simple and clear message on behalf of the President of the United States and on behalf of the American people, and that is that the United States has Israel’s back. We have the back of the Israeli people. We have their back today. We’ll have it tomorrow. We will have it every day.
We stand resolutely against terrorism. We’ve seen the almost undescribable acts committed by Hamas against Israeli men, women, and children. Every day we’re learning more, and it is simply heartbreaking. Not since ISIS have we seen this kind of depravity, and we will continue to stand very resolutely against it.
When I’m in Israel, I’ll have the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, other senior officials. I look forward to seeing our embassy team, as well, which is doing terrific work during these difficult days.
We’re determined to make sure that Israel gets everything it needs to defend itself, and provide for the security of its people. Already, significant military assistance requested by Israel is on the way. That’s on top of everything that we’ve been doing for years, including with the memorandum of understanding that was negotiated by President Obama, to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.
At the same time, we anticipate there’ll be further needs, further requests. We’ve already been closely with Congress on this, and look forward to continuing to do that to make sure that Israel has what it needs.
Second, we will be reiterating, reaffirming the very strong message President Biden has delivered to any country or any party that might try to take advantage of the situation. And that message is: Don’t. The President has deployed, as you know, the world’s largest aircraft carrier group to the region to make very clear our intent to deter anyone contemplating any further aggression against Israel.
Finally, of course, we’re very focused on our own people, our own citizens. We lost 22 Americans; that number could still go up. It probably will. At the same time, we have a number of Americans who remain unaccounted; we are working very closely with the Government of Israel to determine their whereabouts, and if they have been taken hostage by Hamas, to work to secure their release.
So, all of these things are on the agenda over the next day or so with Israel, but the main point is this: We stand with Israel. We’ll continue to do so.
MR. MILLER: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, yesterday Jake Sullivan said that U.S. officials were talking to the Israelis about getting civilians safe passage through Gaza into Egypt. Today John Kirby said they’re still talking to the officials about this. What is the holdup? What’s the obstacle to getting civilians safe passage out of Gaza?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: John, we are talking about that, and we’re talking to Israel about that. We’re talking to Egypt about that. It’s an ongoing conversation; I can’t get into the details. Some of this is, needless to say, understandably complicated. But we want to make sure to the best of our ability – and I know Israel wants to make sure to the best of its ability, that civilians are not harmed. But Israel has to take steps to defend itself. It has to make sure that any ongoing threat is dealt with – and I believe it has to make sure that, going forward, what happened doesn’t happen again.
QUESTION: Is the issue more on the Israeli side or the Egypt side?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’m not going to get into the details, but it’s an ongoing conversation.
MR MILLER: Will.
QUESTION: Following up on that, in conversations between the U.S. and Israel, has the U.S. advocated any degree of restraint in terms of possible ground operations in Gaza, either for the sake of the civilians there or for the sake of hostages in there?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, again, I’m not getting into any of the operational details of what Israel may or may not do. I think you heard the President speak to this yesterday in his very, very strong and forceful comments. And of course, what separates Israel and the United States and other democracies when it comes to incredibly difficult situations like this is our respect for international law – and as appropriate, the laws of war. We do everything we can to make sure that in these situations we avoid civilian casualties. That is in direct contrast with Hamas, which uses people as human shields. It actually seeks to put Palestinian civilians in situations where they could be harmed. This is very much part of their – part of the game plan.
So, we know that Israel will take all of the precautions that it can – just as we would. And again, that’s what separates us from Hamas and terrorist groups that engage in the most heinous kind of activities.
MR MILLER: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. We’ll have a chance to talk later. Thank you.
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
This afternoon, President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to provide an update on ongoing U.S. support for Israel. The President explained that he had just been briefed by his national security team. He detailed the U.S. support that had arrived or would soon be on its way to include ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and other defense materiel.
The President underscored the need for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas’s brutal atrocities, which are akin to the atrocities of ISIS from many years ago. The Prime Minister provided an update from Israel and the spirit of the Israeli people as they unite to protect their country and their people against Hamas and all other threats.
The two leaders agreed to speak again in the next few days.
Remarks by President Biden on the Terrorist Attacks in Israel
State Dining Room
2:24 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.
You know, there are moments in this life — and I mean this literally — when the 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 organization Hamas — a group whose stated purpose for being is to kill Jews.
This was an act of sheer evil.
More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered — not just killed, slaughtered — in Israel. Among them, at least 14 American citizens killed.
Parents butchered using their bodies to try to protect their children.
Stomach-turning reports of being — babies being killed.
Entire families slain.
Young people massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace — to celebrate peace.
Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies.
Families hid their fear for hours and hours, desperately trying to keep their children quiet to avoid drawing attention.
And thousands of wounded, alive but carrying with them the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds and the memory of what they endured.
You all know these traumas never go away.
There are still so many families desperately waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones, not knowing if they’re alive or dead or hostages.
Infants in their mothers’ arms, grandparents in wheelchairs, Holocaust survivors abducted and held hostage — hostages whom Hamas has now threatened to execute in violation of every code of human morality.
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.
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.
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 loss of innocent life is heartbreaking.
Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond — indeed has a duty to respond — to these vicious attacks.
I just got off the phone with — the third call with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And I told him if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming.
We also discussed how democracies like Israel and the United States are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.
Terrorists purpo- — purposefully target civilians, kill them. We uphold the laws of war — the law of war. It matters. There’s a difference.
Today, Americans across the country are praying for all those families that have been ripped apart. A lot of us know how it feels. It leaves a black hole in your chest when you lose family, feeling like you’re being sucked in. The anger, the pain, the sense of hopelessness.
This is what they mean by a “human tragedy” — an atrocity on an appalling scale.
But we’re going to s- — continue to stand united, supporting the people of Israel who are suffering unspeakable losses and opposing the hatred and violence of terrorism.
My team has been in near constant communication with our Israeli partners and partners all across the region and the world from the moment this crisis began.
We’re surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome.
We’re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.
My administration has consulted closely with Congress throughout this crisis. And when Congress returns, we’re going to ask them to take urgent action to fund the national security requirements of our critical partners.
This is not about party or politics. This is about the security of our world, the security of the United States of America.
We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas.
I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise the Israeli counterparts on hostage recover- — recovery efforts, because as president I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.
The United States has also enhanced our military force posture in the region to strengthen our deterrence.
The Department of Defense has moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean and bolstered our fighter aircraft presence. And we stand ready to move in additional assets as needed.
Let me say again — to any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation, I have one word: Don’t. Don’t.
Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear.
Yesterday, I also spoke with the leaders of
France, Germany, Italy, and the UK to discuss the latest developments with our European allies and coordinate our united response.
This comes on top of days of steady engagement with partners across the region.
We’re also taking steps at home. In cities across the United States of America, police departments have stepped up security around centers for — of Jewish life.
And 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 — we reject — what we reject is terrorism. We condemn the indiscriminate evil, just as we’ve always done.
That’s what America stands for.
You know, just over 50 years ago — I was thinking about it this morning, talking with the Secretary of State, the Vice President in my office and — over 50 years ago, as a young senator, I visited Israel for the first time, as a newly elected senator.
And I had a long, long trip — or meeting with Golda Meir in her office just before the Yom Kippur War. And I guess she could see the consternation on my face as she described what was being faced — they were facing.
We walked outside in that — that sort of hallway outside her office to have some photos. She looked at me and w- — all of a sudden and said, “Would you like to have a photograph?” And so, I got up and followed her out.
We were standing there silent, looking at the press. She could tell, I guess, I was concerned. She leaned over and whispered to me — she said, “Don’t worry, Senator Biden. We have a secret weapon here in Israel” — my word this is what she said — “We have no place else to go.” “We have no place else to go.”
For 75 years, Israel has stood as the ultimate guarantor of security of Jewish people around the world so that the atrocities of the past could never happen again.
And let there be no doubt: The United States has Israel’s back.
We will make sure the Jewish and democratic State of Israel can defend itself today, tomorrow, as we always have. It’s as simple as that.
These atrocities have been sickening.
We’re — we’re with Israel. Let’s make no mistake.
Thank you.
2:34 P.M. EDT
------------------------
OCTOBER 09, 2023
Joint Statement on Israel
Today, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America released the following joint statement following their call:
Today, we — President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom, and President Biden of the United States — express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.
We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism. In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages.
Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage.
All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed.
Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, around 6:30 am, Hamas launched an attack into Israel from multiple sites on its border with the Gaza Strip. The attack included ground and motorized infiltration into Israeli territory, attacks on IDF bases and exchanges of fire with security forces, massacres and shooting of Israeli civilians, takeovers of settlements and military facilities. The ground militant activity was combined with and backed by massive, sustained rocket fire of thousands of rockets.
At around 7:00 am, Hamas militants raided many settlements and kibbutzim in the Gaza periphery area of Israel, and carried out massacres in Nahal Oz, Holit, Nir Oz, Netiv HaAsara, Be'eri, and Kfar Aza, as well as a massacre at a music festival near Re'im in which at least 260 people were murdered, in what was described as "the biggest terror attack in its history" . From several of these places the militants kidnapped civilians, including elderly, women and children , and took them captive in Gaza. According to the Washington Post, video evidence proves that some of the captives were executed after Hamas militants captured them.
According to statements by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, during the raid on the Gaza periphery settlements about 130 citizens and soldiers were kidnapped. Some of the kidnapped are foreign nationals including from the United States, Britain, Germany, Russia. 11 Thai citizens working in greenhouses in the Gaza periphery were also kidnapped. Italy announced that 10 of its citizens were kidnapped to Gaza, including a one-year-old baby.
One of the most famous kidnapping cases is the abduction of Avinathan Or and Noa Argmani, who participated in the trance party near Re'im and were filmed being led by the militants to Gaza, after WhatsApp messages they sent asking for help from their hiding place from 8:10 am were exposed.
Video footage showed a variety of civilians taken hostage, including an elderly woman and a German-Israeli woman taken hostage amidst the Re'im music festival massacre who gained public interest in a video of Palestinians parading her near-naked body in a car.
On Sunday evening, October 8, the families of the kidnapped and missing held a press conference, demanding the government open ongoing talks with the families and carry out an operation to bring the missing home, appoint someone to maintain ongoing contact with the families, immediately involve Turkish President Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Egyptian President El-Sisi, to release the captives. The government appointed Gal Hirsch to be in charge of the issue.
Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra'am party, said in an interview with Kan 11 that he "calls on the leadership of all Palestinian factions to prove a human moral position reflecting the values of Islam, and to immediately release all the kidnapped, hostages and prisoners of war"
OCTOBER 08, 2023
Readout of Vice President Harris’s Call
with President Isaac Herzog of Israel
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Vice President Kamala Harris today spoke with President Isaac Herzog of Israel and expressed her and the Second Gentleman’s condolences and prayers for the victims of the heinous Hamas terrorist attacks and all those affected.
She condemned the appalling and unprecedented attacks, which included terrorists taking children and elderly people hostage. The Vice President made clear that such terrorist acts are never justified.
The Vice President underscored that the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering. The Vice President reiterated our commitment to provide Israel all appropriate means of support.
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
President Biden spoke this morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. The President again expressed deep sympathy for all those missing, wounded, and killed, and pledged his full support for the Government and people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists. They discussed the taking of hostages by Hamas terrorists, including entire families, the elderly, and young children. The President emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.
President Biden updated the Prime Minister on the intensive diplomatic engagement undertaken by the United States over the last 24 hours in support of Israel. The President also conveyed that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces is now on its way to Israel with more to follow over the coming days. The leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation.
The two leaders committed to stay in regular contact over the coming days.
Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official Regarding Hamas Terrorist Attacks in Israel
PRESS BRIEFINGS
5:20 P.M. EDT
MODERATOR: Great. Sorry. Apologies for the delay, everyone. Good evening. And thanks, everyone, for your patience and joining our call. Thanks for joining this call on Hamas’s terrorist attack in Israel.
As a reminder, this call will be on background, attributable to a “senior administration official.” For your awareness, as you heard — not for reporting — on the line is [senior administration official]. As a reminder, the contents of this call are embargoed unto the call — until the call concludes.
With that, I’ll hand it over to [senior administration official], and we’ll take Qs and As after.
Over to you, [senior administration official].
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, everybody, for joining this call. I just wanted to — we wanted to provide some, really, background about — about activity and kind of flesh out some of what the President discussed during his — during his phone call.
Last night around — really, 2:30 in the morning, we were alerted to the rocket attacks in Israel and were engaged, really, throughout the evening with our Israeli counterparts and regional counterparts to try to determine precisely what was unfolding.
This morning at 7:00 a.m., Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart. And then shortly thereafter, around 7:30, Jake convened a call with his national security team, including Secretary Blinken and others.
Shortly after that, around 8:15 or so, there was a call — the President convened a call with his national security team — with Jake Sullivan, Tony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Bill Burns, and others. Throughout that call, the President received a full briefing on the situation and developments, directed full engagement with Israeli counterparts and with regional counterparts.
Immediately after that call — right at when that call ended, the President called Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Prime Minister, on that call, made very clear this was an unprecedented day for Israel. As he said publicly, Israel is at war.
The President offered his full support for Israel and emphasized the close coordination ongoing between our military and intelligence teams, noted that Secretary Austin would soon be speaking with his counterpart. And the President and the Prime Minister agreed to remain in regular contact, both between the two of them as leaders and also, obviously, through our teams.
Shortly thereafter, Secretary Austin discussed the situation with his counterpart, the Minister of Defense, Gallant, in Israel — again, full support for Israel’s military right to defend itself. And the Secretary issued a read-out after that call, which I’m sure you’ve seen.
President Biden later called King Abdullah of Jordan. Of course, the President has known these two leaders for decades. And he called the King of Jordan in between receiving regular briefings from his — from his team. The King and the President also agreed to stay in regular contact, including through our respective national security teams.
Also, throughout the day, Secretary Blinken, who is here at the White House, spoke with Israel President Herzog. He spoke with the President of the Palestine Authority, President Abbas; the Israeli foreign minister; and his counterparts from Turkey, from Egypt, from Jordan, from Saudi Arabia — (audio drops) — Italy, and others.
Needless to say, Jake, Brett McGurk, Jon Finer have been in touch with counterparts throughout the day. State Department — Victoria Nuland, Barbara Leaf — engaged throughout the day regional counterparts, G7, European, and Lebanese.
We remain deeply engaged as of, truly, this very moment, and one reason I was a little late getting on the call. This is ongoing and continuous, likely to continue for some time.
The bottom line, as the President said, the United States stands with Israel. The United States unequivocally condemns the appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza. We have made it absolutely clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu, but to Israeli officials up and down, across the political spectrum and their national security spectrum, that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel.
And Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. Full stop.
So, how this plays out over the coming days and weeks, again, I’m not going to speculate on this call. But we wanted to give you just some of the backdrop of activity here — including, obviously, the President’s engagement from early this morning, together with his team — as this terrible day has unfolded.
So, with that, I will take some — some questions and answers.
MODERATOR: Thank you, [senior administration official]. We’ll go first to Yuna from Channel 12 from Israel.
Q Hi, [senior administration official]. Hi, everyone. Was there in the talks any specifics about aid, military aid, some numbers — requests from Israel or anything that was discussed about that?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, again, thanks so much for your question. There has been a — (audio drops) — engagement with his counterpart, but General Kurilla has been engaged with General Halevi. Really, up and down our military chains, just regular coordination about some of the needs that Israel anticipates.
And I am not going to get ahead of that process, nor would I likely talk about it in any event. But I would say that that is very much — very much under way. And we might have more to say about it as early as tomorrow.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll go next to Steve from Reuters.
Q Hey. Thank you. [Senior administration official], did the U.S. have any inkling that this was going to unfold? This is being called a massive intelligence failure in Israel. Did we know about this and the impact this might have on the talks toward a normalization deal?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, thanks, Steve. I would just say I’m obviously not going to comment on specifics of any intelligence or intelligence sharing.
We will continue to provide Israel with support during this critical time, including close — close, deep intelligence sharing.
We have a very close partnership with Israel. And we always share timely intelligence about threats in the region with Israel and other partners, but in particular with Israel.
Again, the President directed his team to ensure we’re providing all that support for Israel that it needs now. And as this unfolds, I’m just — I’m not going to get into any specific intelligence. Obviously, the Israelis, in particular, will be looking at this very closely, and I’m not going to get ahead of that.
I would just say on other things going on in the region — look, we’ve said that we are obviously engaged in the process of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. We’ve also said that process has a ways to travel. I think it’s really premature to speculate as to say — say the impact.
I would say for certain, Hamas — terrorist groups like Hamas will not derail any such outcome, should they be possible. I think that’s — that’s quite certain. But that process has a — has a ways to go, as we have said a number of times.
I would just come back to the first — the first question, I just want to point out: When it comes to Israel’s military needs, I mean this is something we’ve been focused on from day one of our administration. You’ll recall the billion-dollar allocation for Patriot interceptor replenishment following the first Gaza war — the first time Hamas launched a war here in 2021 — the first time in the Biden administration — the billion-dollar replenishment for the Patriots.
The Jerusalem declaration the President signed with Prime Minister Lapid when he was in Israel talks about the full commitment to our MOU and making sure that Israel has everything it needs to protect their citizens and defend themselves.
So, that has been an ongoing, continuous commitment that was reaffirmed today, and we are in deep talks with the Israelis about some of their particular needs as they respond to this terrible assault on the Israeli state and the Israeli people.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll go next to Nadia from Al Arabiya.
Q Hi. Thank you. Thank you for doing this call. [Senior administration official], you mentioned that you talked also with the Lebanese during these calls. Do you have any assurances that the Lebanese government will restrain Hezbollah from opening another northern front with Israel?
Also, Prime Minister Netanyahu called on Gazans to leave. The question is, to where? How can the U.S. protect civilians in Gaza who will endure collective punishment and who not necessarily agree with Hamas?
And just, finally, on the — (audio drops) — people talk about a diplomatic failure by not focusing on the heart of the matter, which is the Palestine conflict and the rush to expand the Abraham Accords. How do you respond to that? Thank you so much.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: First, on the Lebanese, I think we made very clear — the President made very clear that anyone, any — any party that’s hostile to Israel, seeking to take advantage of this situation, we’d strongly warn against that.
Obviously, we — you know, similar to other conflicts in Gaza — will work with parties throughout the region to try to contain the situation in Gaza and not spread elsewhere. But these are decisions that will be very important.
Obviously, this was one of the topics in discussions with the Lebanese and others — and others throughout the day.
In terms of our — I think your third question, I would just say we have been, you know, very deep — look, yes, we do not have a final outcome or resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But let me say: We have been in deep, deep discussions with the Palestinians — talking to them almost every day, every week — and the Israelis. We brought the Israelis and the Palestinians together in face-to-face talks twice — really for the first time in almost a decade — in Aqaba and Sharm, and have been working to find some rules of the road.
And particularly — when it comes to security and other issues, particularly in the West Bank and also in Gaza, working with the Egyptian, the Qataris, and others. So, we have really been all over this.
This was an unprovoked assault by a terrorist group, Hamas. And that’s what this was, and that is how — and that is also going to influence the scope and significance of the Israeli response and, of course, our support for Israel in that response.
But that does not take away from our focus on the fundamental issue, which you said. That’s one reason why Secretary Blinken called President Abbas today, had a very good call. And needless to say, we have been in touch with other Palestinian officials across the board throughout the day.
What was your second question, Nadia? I’m sorry.
Q On Netanyahu calling on Gazans to leave.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah.
Q To where? (Inaudible.)
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’m just — I’m not — yes, I’m not — I actually haven’t seen that specific statement.
Again, I think that the Israelis are in deep consultations about specifically how they’re going to respond. I think it is obviously one of the horrific aspects of this day.
We have a number of hostages that have been taken. These are families taken from their homes, taken off the street. Some of them are being held hostage in some of these Israeli towns. Some of them we believe have been taken to Gaza. So, this is obviously being taken into deep consideration by the Israelis.
But, again, I’m not — I’m just not going to parse that statement, and I haven’t seen it.
Q Thank you.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll go to Felicia from Financial Times.
Q Thanks, [senior administration official]. Just in terms of Iran’s involvement or role in encouraging this, do you have any early indications of what role they’re playing?
And then on the question of security assistance and the Iron Dome, if Congress needs to pass legislation to do that, does the dysfunction or lack of a Speaker get in the way of that? And if so, do you have any sort of workaround?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: On you second, it’s a great question. It’s actually something we were discussing today, because there probably is a role for Congress here. And without a Speaker of the House, that is a unique situation we’re going to have to work through. So, I don’t have a — an answer to you, but it is something that we have been — we have been discussing.
There’s also an important role for the Senate. We have an Israeli — Jack Lew is our nominee to be ambassador to Israel. Obviously, it would be great to have him on the ground in Israel. And though I’ll say that our chargé, Stephanie Hallett, is doing a superb — really superb job throughout this crisis and in the many months before.
On Iran’s involvement, I mean, look, specifically about what happened today, it’s too early — too early to say whether, you know, the state of Iran was directly involved or planning and supporting. I’m not going to get ahead of that. We are going to be looking at that very closely.
That said, there’s no doubt — look, Hamas is funded, equipped, armed by Iran and others. And so, that’s why we have taken action throughout this administration to hold Iran accountable. We’ve imposed sanctions on Iran for support to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. That is going to continue — believe me.
And Hamas is a terrorist group. Full stop. And this is — they launched a war in 2021 through rocket attacks. They tried again in 2022.
What we’ve seen today is really an unprecedented assault, particularly these incursions into Israeli cities and literally murdering people, including families in their homes, taking hostages — including, we believe, children — out of their homes. It is just unspeakable, and we will treat Hamas for what they are. They are an international terrorist organization, and I think that is really what we’re focused on right now.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll go next to Ben, Haaretz.
Q Hello?
MODERATOR: We’ll go next to Ben from Haaretz.
Q Hey there. Can you hear me?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I got you. Yeah, I got you.
Q Good. Thank you so much. Yeah, so just to kind of circle back to the point that you were making about the Sharm and Aqaba summits. You know, this is the worst attack in at least 50 years and possibly in Israel’s history. So, you know, does that not make you kind of — does it not bring some sort of introspection about maybe the track that the administration has been on to date is not necessarily working?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Again, this was an attack by Hamas against the state and people of Israel. Hamas launched a war in 2021. They tried to launch war in 2022. And today, we have seen this unprecedented response.
Again, we walked into office with a situation where we have basically severed ties entirely from the Palestinians, and we have worked to restore that and to be — try to begin a process. I think that’s going to continue, but Hamas is never a part of that process. Hamas is in charge of Gaza, and that is a situation that we’ve been dealing with.
And I think what we’re really focused on right now is trying to ensure — and a number of ways that we’re working on this — that this does not spread to the West Bank. We want to try to make sure this is contained in Gaza, as terrible as the situation in Gaza is. But this is an attack by Hamas. And so even in that process, Hamas is not a part of that. And so, you know, I think the situation in Gaza has been unique — how we deal with it through the Israelis, through the Qataris, through the Egyptians, and others.
But given that Gaza is controlled by a terrorist organization, it’s just a situation we work with — through and with the Israelis and others.
But I really — the focus today is on the response to this terrible — (audio drops) — Israel and the people of Israel, and ensuring the Israelis have what they need here to respond appropriately.
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you. We’ll go next to Asma Khalid from NPR.
Asma? Okay, can’t hear Asma.
We’ll go next to Barak from Axios.
Q Hi. Thank you. Two questions. First, Israeli officials said that Prime Minister Netanyahu asked President Biden during their call for some sort of an emergency funding for Iron Dome interceptors. Did the President agree? Did the President get — ordered some sort of an emergency funding?
And second question, it seems that the Israeli Cabinet is about to approve an all-out ground operation in Gaza. Does the U.S. support an Israeli ground operation in Gaza?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, Barak, on your first question, I’ll say that — that level of detail was not specifically discussed on the President’s call, as I recall, so I’m not sure where you got that from.
There was a discussion about ensuring, as I — as I conveyed in my opening — ensuring knew that the Israelis had all the support they needed and that our Secretary of Defense would shortly and almost immediately after the call be discussing the situation with his counterpart and General Kurilla and others, and then the leaders would circle back up.
But I think, as you saw in 2021 with the billion-dollar supplemental for Patriot interceptor replenishment, to the extent systems have to be replenished, that’s something we have always been committed to. And I think we’d be committed to it here. But I just don’t want to go into any — any specifics.
I also am not going to comment on what the Israelis might do, might not do, should do, should not do. That’s just not my writ here on this call, so I hope you can understand that. And I’m just not going to get into that tonight.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We’ll try Asma from NPR one more time.
Q Hi. Sorry about that. Can you all hear me okay?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes. Good.
Q Great. Thank you. Thanks so much for doing that. And sorry about the tech difficulties a moment ago. I had two questions for you, [senior administration official]. One is: Can you talk a little bit about the confidence you have in a bipartisan response, given some of the initial response that we’ve seen from Republicans trying to attribute this to President Biden’s actions as they related to a recent prisoner swap in Iran?
And then the second question I wanted to ask is kind of piggybacking on an earlier question about Netanyahu’s comments on Gazans should leave the area. Are there or will the U.S. work with any allies in the region to potentially offer solutions for Gazans — civilian Gazans to exit or enter the area?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, you asked one questions which I’m not — I’m not going to delve into the (inaudible) — the political dimension of it. I would certainly hope that there would be a united — a U.S.-stands-with-Israel response here when Israel is under assault by a terrorist group. Those of us working on this here in the White House, working in SCIFs and elsewhere, did not see some of that. But I — (audio drop) — about it.
I mean, I cannot think of a more irresponsible claim to make in such a situation. This is about the hostage deal. And it’s also completely false. And it’s just unfortunate that, you know, we have to spend our time responding to total lies based on either a complete misunderstanding or just a complete mischaracterization and disinformation of facts.
I think, as our Treasury Department had to put out today — just to clarify — first of all, the agreement to secure the freedom of five U.S. citizens from Iran in September obviously had nothing whatsoever to do with today. That is just factual, provable. None of the funds that were part of that deal have even been spent — not a single cent — or accessed by Iran
And in fact, as you know, for anyone who’s actually covered this deal, none of those funds will ever be accessed by Iran. They can only be used, when they are used — and none have been used to date — to pay vetted, third-party, non-Iranian vendors for a limited category of humanitarian trade: food, agricultural products, medicine, medical supplies. That’s it.
So, nobody in Iran will ever touch a single dinar or cent or rial from those funds. Period. So, it’s just a total ridiculous charge, and it’s had nothing to do with what happened today.
And with such a horrific day like this, it’s just really — (audio drops) — to spread disinformation, but we’re fully prepared, obviously, to respond to it. But it would be nice not to have to respond to just totally ridiculous lies like that.
Again, on this — on the Gaza statement from the prime minister: I have to say, I have not seen that.
I also — we will be working through — with the Israelis and others — contingency scenarios. Working with Egyptians — I’m sure — and others about the come — what’s going to unfold over the coming days and weeks.
So, again, I’m sorry, I’m just not going to get into the speculate about what exactly, precisely that means.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We have time for maybe one or two more. So we’ll go next to Hiba from Asharq News.
Q Thanks, [senior administration official], for doing that. I go back to Lebanon. Hezbollah warned that if there’s a ground operation in Gaza, they will start attacking from the northern borders. What information do you have on the situation on the northern borders? And did you convey a message to the Lebanese leaders about that?
And my second question — on the Iranian factor. I understand that you said that it — it’s too early to tell if they are — to what extent they are involved. And you acknowledged that they are supporting Hamas. But would that impact any kind of talk between Biden administration and the Iranian after this attack? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Again, on that question, what I said: We don’t have anything to indicate Iran was involved in this specific — what is unfolding now.
But in terms of Iran’s full support for Hamas — and Hamas would not exist without that support over many, many years and decades. Obviously, that is a fact. And that is why we continue to hold Iran accountable for its support for terrorist groups, whether Hamas or Lebanese Hezbollah.
And I will say, and I think it connects to both points: We have clearly conveyed messages and our clear position to all relevant parties, including partners and anyone who might seek to take advantage in any way — which would be a huge mistake — of this situation. So, I’m not going to speculate on what Hassan Nasrallah or Lebanese Hezbollah might do.
But I will say, I think our position is very clear. And one reason we’ve been engaged throughout the region with everybody — and as I outlined at the beginning of my call — is to make sure — (audio drop) — about where we stand in this.
MODERATOR: Thank you. And our last question we’ll go to Vivian from the Wall Street Journal.
Q Hello, guys. Thanks for doing this. All the important questions have been touched upon. But [senior administration official] — but you only mentioned the Egyptians once in passing, and so I figured I would ask. The Egyptians say that they — you know, there had been reports and also officials that we’ve talked to have said that they’ve actually had a lot of the intelligence related to potential Hamas attack, also a potential Hezbollah attack on the northern front.
And so, I wanted to ask: Have they conveyed it to you? Because a number of Egyptian officials are now saying that they had informed the Israelis, the U.S., even the Russians about a potential attack. What were those conversations like? And is there any reason that we haven’t seen a POTUS-Sisi — (audio drops) — call, as we did with the King of Jordan, for example. The Egyptians were obviously key to brokering a deal in 2021. And so I’m wondering why we haven’t seen more intensive engagement besides just the Secretary of State, the foreign minister level. Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, Vivian. I should of — no, we’ve been intensively engaged with the Egyptians. Jake spoke with Abbas Kamel earlier today. I think we’ve had a couple of touches with Abbas Kamel, who really is the key — the key point of contact in these situations. And I’m sure there will be a discussion with Sisi here at some point.
I can’t speak to what Egyptians are saying there, but I — I don’t want to characterize the intelligence, and I don’t want to get ahead of also what the Israelis will be looking at.
But if the allegation is that we had some specific warning or indicator from another country, it’s certainly not something that we’ve seen. So, I think that’s really not — not accurate, other than just general concern — as we have had concern — about obviously rising tensions, particularly in the West Bank, which we’ve been working very hard on.
But in terms of the level of sophistication of what transpired overnight here and what continues to transpire, that’s a very different — a different issue. And I have not seen anything to support that.
MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone for joining today’s call.
As a reminder, the call today was on background, attributable to a “senior administration official.” The embargo is now lifted. That is all.
Remarks by President Biden on the Terrorist Attacks In Israel
State Dining Room
2:48 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas.
In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back.
We’ll make sure they have the help their citizens need and they can continue to defend themselves.
You know, the world has seen appalling images: thousands of rockets in the space of hours raining down on Israeli cities. When I got up this morning and started this at 7:30, 8 o’clock — my calls.
Hamas terrorists crossing into Israel killing not only Israeli soldiers, but Israeli civilians in the street, in their homes. Innocent people murdered, wounded, entire families taken hostage by Hamas just days after Israel marked the holiest of days on the Jewish calendar. It’s unconscionable.
You know, when I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning, I told him the United States stands with the people of Israel in the face of this terrorist assaults. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. Full stop.
There is never justification for terrorist acts.
And my administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.
Let me say this as clearly as I can: This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.
I have also been in contact with the King of Jordan, spoken with members of Congress, directed my national security team
to engage with their Israeli counterparts — military to military, intelligence to intelligence, diplo- — diplomat to diplomat — to make sure Israel has what it needs.
I’ve also directed my team to remain in constant contact with leaders throughout the region, including Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, the UAE, as well as with our European partners and the Palestinian Authority.
This is also a terrible tragedy on a human level. It’s hurting innocent people — seeing the lives that have been broken by this, the families torn apart. It’s heart breaking.
And Jill and I are praying for those families who have been impacted by this violence. We grieve with those who have lost their loved their ones, lost a piece of their soul. We have hope for a swift recovery for many who have been wounded.
But we’re going to remain in close touch with Prime Minister — I, personally, am going to remain in close contact with Prime Minister Netanyahu as this situation continues to develop.
And let there be no mistake: The United States stands with the State of Israel, just as we have from the moment the United States became the first nation to recognize Israel, 11 minutes after its founding, 75 years ago.
Thank you very much.
2:51 P.M. EDT
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OCTOBER 07, 2023
Statement from President Joe Biden Condemning Terrorist Attacks in Israel
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
This morning, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel. The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.
Jill and I are keeping in our prayers all of the families who have been hurt by this violence. We are heartbroken by the lives that have been tragically cut short and hope for a swift recovery for all those who have been wounded.
My team and I are tracking this situation closely, and I will remain in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson Condemning Terrorist Attacks Against Israel
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians. There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand firmly with the Government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has spoken to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and we remain in close contact with our Israeli partners.
Sources:wikipedia CBS, Global National, CNN 18, FP WION, WSJ, White House, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, U.S. Department of State. Defemse, U.S. Department, fDefense, EU Military,
October 7, 2023, Rev. October 9, 2023, October ,11th, 2023, October 12th, 2023, October 13th, 2023, Rev. Oct 16, 2023