U.S. President Joe Biden continued his visit of support to Israel today (Wednesday) by meeting with the families of the abducted and survivors from the attack by Hamas in the communities in the Gaza envelope.
At the end of the meeting, Biden tweeted on Twitter: "I'm proud to be in Israel and I appreciate the courage, bravery, and determination of the Israeli people. Americans mourn with you after the terror attacks of last week."
At the same time, Biden addressed the journalists with regard to the explosion that occurred at the Gaza hospital yesterday. He explained why he accepted Israel's version of the event and clarified in his statement with Netanyahu that "it wasn't you." According to him, "the Pentagon presented evidence that Israel did not strike the Gaza hospital."
Earlier today, Biden met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and participated in a meeting of the War Cabinet. At the start of the meeting between the two leaders, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Biden's support for Israel. He stated, "I've seen your support from the beginning of the war, the level of cooperation is unprecedented in the history of the alliance between our two nations." According to Netanyahu, "We see this support in your unwavering commitment to provide Israel with the means we need."
Netanyahu: "The world should unite to defeat Hamas"
Netanyahu spoke about the horrors experienced by the residents of the south and the soldiers during the terrorist attack. "The world sees this support very clearly, and this has been evident from the moment Israel was attacked. You indeed compared the forces of civilization to the forces of barbarism, you described what Hamas did as absolute horror."
According to the Prime Minister, "Hamas murdered children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. They burned people, raped and killed women, beheaded soldiers. They searched for hiding places where parents concealed their children. The monster found them in the hiding place, and I'm sure you're upset about that. October 7th is a cursed day. The world needs to unite to defeat Hamas just as the world defeated ISIS. Israel is united."
Biden: "Hamas committed atrocities that made ISIS look more rational"
The U.S. President spoke about his commitment to standing by Israel and mentioned the horrors committed by Hamas. He said, "I am here because I want the world to know that I stand by Israel. 1,300 people were massacred, and I can't imagine what those children went through," he said. According to him, "They committed such atrocities that they made ISIS look more rational. We will ensure that you have what you need to defend yourselves."
The American President responded to accusations worldwide regarding the incident at the hospital in Gaza and argued that Israel was not involved in the incident. He stated, "I am sad and angered by the explosion at the hospital. It wasn't done by you, but many people in the world are not sure, so we need to overcome many things, including encouraging the saving of lives, to help Palestinians who are innocent."
In conclusion, he said, "Strength is important, but the world is watching. Israel has a system of values like the United States, democracy. I want to say to the people of Israel, your resilience and dedication are amazing, and I am proud to be here."
At the end of the statements, the two of them held an extensive meeting together with the Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, the head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the U.S. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan. It was also reported that the meeting between the sides lasted for over an hour, twice as long as initially planned.