President Biden on Wednesday reiterated his administration’s position that Israel has the right to defend itself in the aftermath of Hamas terrorist attacks, while noting images from Gaza of children crying for their parents and efforts to identify the dead.
Biden noted the images of parents in Gaza writing their children’s names on their legs so they could be identified, as well as other images of children suffering on the ground.
“We will continue to reiterate that Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend its citizens from terror, and it must do so in a manner that is consistent with international and humanitarian law and that prioritises the protection of its citizens,” Biden said during remarks in Northfield, Minnesota.
He added: “We’ve all seen the devastating images coming out of Gaza – Palestinian children crying for lost parents, parents thinking and writing their children’s names on their hands and legs so they can be identified if the worst happens.
The president has stood by Israel since the Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, but in recent weeks has shifted his response to focus more on humanitarian aid and support for Palestinian civilians on the ground in Gaza.
“The loss of any innocent life is a tragedy,” he said on Wednesday, ahead of remarks on infrastructure investment. “We mourn these deaths and continue to mourn the Israeli children and mothers who were brutally slaughtered by Hamas terrorists.”
Gaza has been pounded by Israeli air strikes in the aftermath of the attacks, and the response has raised alarms about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for adequate food, water and medicine in the area.
Biden noted during his remarks in Minnesota that the US is “continuing to work to significantly increase” humanitarian aid to Gaza and that not enough has been done.
“The number of trucks coming into Gaza continues to increase significantly, but we still have a long way to go. The United States will continue to push for humanitarian assistance for the innocent people of Gaza who need help,” he said.
The White House has said it would consider supporting a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid into the enclave, but has rejected pressure from progressives and activists for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it would only help Hamas.
Biden’s comments came shortly after the White House confirmed that American citizens are among those who have begun leaving Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Biden said there would be more on the process “in the coming days”, but that the first group included some of the more than 1,000 American citizens seeking to leave.
“Today, thanks to concerted American leadership, we’re in a situation where safe passage has begun for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals to leave Gaza,” he said. “We are working non-stop to get Americans out of Gaza as quickly and as safely as possible.”