President Joe Biden delivered a prime-time address on Thursday, just over a week after surprise attacks by Hamas militants killed more than 1,000 civilians in Israel.
The televised remarks, delivered at 8:00 p.m. ET, were the second prime-time Oval Office address of Biden’s presidency. In his speech, the president also argued for more aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“Hamas and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin poses different threats, but they have this in common: They both want to completely destroy the neighboring democracy, completely destroy it,” Biden said.
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President Joe Biden.
Jonathan Ernst – pool/Getty
He went on to say that the US should continue to help Israel and Ukraine, pointing to US leadership abroad and announcing plans to “send an emergency budget request to Congress to fund America’s national security needs – the need to support our key partners, including Israel and Ukraine .”
The president called it “a smart investment that will pay off in American security for generations.”
Biden used the address to drum up support from Americans and lawmakers on expected funding requests for the conflict in Israel, which comes after the Biden administration and Congress directed more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine for the war there.
The Biden administration is currently drafting a $100 billion foreign aid package, which will include $10 billion in aid for Israel, sources previously told ABC News.
President Biden Condemns Hamas Attacks on Israel as ‘Pure, Unadulterated Evil’
Elsewhere in his speech, Biden renewed his pledge to free American hostages held by Hamas. He also expressed his condolences to the Palestinians killed in the deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza.
“I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life, including the Gaza hospital explosion, which was not done by the Israelis,” Biden said. “We mourn every innocent life lost. We cannot ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who just want to live in peace and have a chance.”
Biden condemned anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on Thursday night. “I see you. You belong. And I want to tell you this – you are all Americans,” he said, adding, “We reject all forms of hate.”
Biden has stood firm in solidarity with Israel since the attack, saying in an earlier speech that “pure, unadulterated evil” has been “unleashed into this world.”
Earlier this week, the president traveled to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he wanted the people of Israel and the world to “know where the United States stands.”
During the visit, Biden told the prime minister that he would make sure Israel had what it needed to “defend itself” against attacks by Hamas.
Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel: ‘Americans mourn with you’
Biden’s speech came amid a congressional gridlock, as the US House of Representatives remains without the leadership needed to pass expected funding requests for the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine.
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Hamas attacks in Israel have killed 1,400 people, including 31 Americans, while about 2,800 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.
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