— Innocent people have been killed and injured. Whole families have been taken hostage by Hamas, says Biden in the White House, with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken nearby.
Biden emphasized that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and assured him that the United States is on Israel’s side.
— There is never anything that justifies terrorist attacks, says Biden and warns enemies of Israel to try to take advantage of the situation.
A spokesman for Hamas has stated to the BBC that Hamas was supported in its attack on Israel by Iran and that other, unnamed countries have also given Hamas their support. An adviser to Iran’s spiritual and political leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also, according to the BBC, said that Iran supports the attack.
A source in the White House says, according to the AFP news agency, that it is too early to say whether Iran was directly involved in the attack. But there is no doubt, according to the source, that Iran and other parties are sending weapons, money and equipment to Hamas.
US Secretary of State Blinken has spoken with both the Palestinian president, Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry.
According to a spokesperson for Blinken, he called on Egypt to do everything it can to stop Hamas’ attack on Israel.
In the conversation with Abbas, Blinken urged him and “all leaders in the region” to condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Abbas and Fatah lead the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while the Islamist movement Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.