At a White House press conference, US President Joe Biden said Hamas “did not stand for the Palestinian people” and accused it instead of using Palestinians “as human shields”.
He also pledged that the US “has Israel’s back” and said he’ll ensure it can defend itself. US President Joe Biden says he has one word for those considering taking advantage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Biden described Hamas’ attack on Israel as an “act of sheer evil”, accusing the group of “butchering” people.
Babies were killed in their bedrooms, according to an Israeli general who has been removing bodies of adults and children from the kibbutz. Israeli soldiers also told BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen that some of the dead had been beheaded.
The White House believes there are 20 missing Americans following the Hamas attacks in Israel, says US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. But he says he can’t confirm how many are hostages.
The US government is making it the “highest priority” to get information about the missing Americans and is in touch with all the families affected, Sullivan says.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said 14 Americans were known to have been killed in the attacks.
Sullivan also reiterates the United States’ commitment to Israel: “This is personal for the American people with their bond with the Israeli people.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was planning to go to Israel in the coming days in an act of solidarity. The US State Department has now confirmed that he’ll set off tomorrow on his trip, which will also see him visit Jordan: another American ally. The visit will last until Friday.
In Israel, Blinken will meet with senior officials, and “reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with the government and people of Israel,” according to a statement.
“He will also discuss measures to bolster Israel’s security and underscore the United States’ unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” the statement adds.
There are reports that Israeli authorities have taken steps to disrupt the supply of crypto donations to Hamas.
Hamas has been accepting donations in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum for years and researchers have previously noticed spikes in funds during times of conflict.
Cryptocurrency donations have successfully raised millions over the years offering a way for people to donate anonymously without fear of breaking laws funding organisations designated as terrorists by some governments.
Without the need for banks anyone can send funds from their own crypto wallet to another.
However, with the help of cryptocurrency analysis firms, Israel has become adept at blocking crypto wallets that it says are being used to fund terrorism.
