President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Monday, confirming that at least 11 American citizens were among the casualties in Israel following the recent attacks by Hamas at the beginning of the week.
In a statement, President Biden stated, “As we continue to witness the horrors of the horrific terrorist attack against Israel this weekend and the hundreds of innocent civilians killed, we see the vast scope of this tragedy and its magnitude. It is regrettable that we now know that at least 11 Americans were among the victims, many of whom had made Israel their second home.”
He added that another number of American citizens “remain missing, and we are working with Israeli officials to gather more information about their whereabouts.”
President Biden expressed his belief that “it is possible that American citizens are among those held by Hamas. My team has directed to work with their Israeli counterparts on all aspects of the hostage crisis, including the exchange of intelligence and deploying experts from the United States government to consult with their Israeli counterparts and advise them on hostage recovery efforts.”
Biden emphasized that at “this sad moment, the American people stand shoulder to shoulder with the Israelis.” He added that he had reiterated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “once again, when we spoke yesterday, that the United States will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its people.”
