President Joe Biden is standing by Israel after a surprise attack by Hamas militants killed more than 200 Israelis, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare the country “at war” on Saturday.
CNN reported that Netanyahu said in a video statement that a Palestinian militant group “launched a murderous surprise attack on the State of Israel and its citizens” that killed at least 200 Israelis and injured hundreds more.
According to the report, the Israeli military said the nation was attacked on land, sea and in the air via paragliders, with approximately 2,200 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and southern Israel.
Burnt vehicles in Ashkelon are shown after a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Israel.
AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty
Rockets, counterstrikes and dozens of dead: What you need to know about the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence
The news network also reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas had taken “hostages and prisoners of war.” IDF spokesman Col. Richard Hecht added in a briefing that national servicemen “are fighting on the ground as we speak.”
“We are at war, not an operation or rounds, but a war,” Netanyahu told CNN. He added that they have plans to “clean up communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists.”
In response, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Israel launched a counterattack that killed 232 Palestinians and wounded 1,697, CNN reports.
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Fire and smoke rise after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City.
AP Photo/Fatima Shbair
Biden, 80, released a statement on Saturday explaining his position on the issue after recently speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu “about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel.”
“The United States unequivocally condemns this horrific attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I have made it clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel,” the president wrote.
He continued: “Terrorism is never justified. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking to take advantage of this situation. My administration’s support for the security of Israel is firm and unwavering.”
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“Jill and I are keeping all the families hurt by this violence in our prayers,” President Biden added. “Our hearts are broken because of the tragically cut short lives and we hope for the speedy recovery of all those who were wounded.
“My team and I are closely monitoring this situation and I will remain in close contact with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the statement concluded.
Israel and Palestine have been fighting for decades for the right to consider Jerusalem as their capital. Although Israel administers Jerusalem, the Palestinians want control of East Jerusalem, which consists of the West Bank and Gaza, where several Palestinians now live following their displacement as a result of the 20th century Arab-Israeli conflicts that began with the formation of Israel.
The international community, including the US and the UN, is trying to get the warring nations to agree on a possible two-state solution and achieve peace.
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Source: HIS Education