US President Biden, Britain’s PM Sunak condemn attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, assure support for Israel

US President Joe Biden assured “rock solid” support for Israel and decried terrorist attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, with an announcement on US military aid anticipated soon, reported AFP.

Biden described the situation as a “a terrible tragedy on a human level” and said, United States “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop. There’s never a justification for terrorist attacks and my administration’s support for Israeli’s security is rock solid and unwavering.” He informed that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to underline his support.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged US commitment, stating that the US will work to ensure Israel has what it needs for defence.

Discussions on military assistance between US and Israeli officials were already underway and an announcement by US could come as early as Sunday, according to a US senior administration official.

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While tensions threatened to escalate, Biden cautioned, “this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.” He asserted Israel has “a right to defend itself” following attacks by Iran-backed Hamas.

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The senior administration official noted that it was “too early to say” if Iran was “directly involved” in Hamas’ large-scale attack but acknowledged Hamas’s funding, equipment, and arms came from Iran and others.

US diplomat Antony Blinken had a talk with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and “called on all leadership in the region to condemn” the attack on Israel. Abbas’ West Bank-based Fatah movement is a rival to Hamas.

Former President Donald Trump accused Biden of indirectly funding the attacks. Trump said, “Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration.”

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Trump’s claims aligned with Republican assertions that the recent release of $6 billion to Iran, part of a prisoner exchange agreement, was diverted to fund the Hamas attack.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates responded on social media, labeling this assertion as a baseless falsehood, he stated, “this is a shameful lie in every respect, at a time when both parties should be totally united in supporting Israel’s defence.” He clarified that the funds were designated for verifiable humanitarian purposes such as food and medicine.

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also decried the attack by Hamas militant group and expressed support with Israel in a post on X.

The post reads, “As the barbarity of today’s atrocities becomes clearer, we stand unequivocally with Israel. This attack by Hamas is cowardly and depraved. We have expressed our full solidarity to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will work with international partners in the next 24 hours to co-ordinate support.”

(With inputs from AFP)