Joe Biden Offers Support to Israel as Prime Minister Says 'We Are at War' After Hamas Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said that the Palestinian militant group “launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens”

President Joe Biden is standing by Israel after a surprise attack by Hamas militants killed over 200 Israelis, an action that prompted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare on Saturday that the country is “at war.”

CNN reported that Netanyahu said in a video statement that the Palestinian militant group “launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens” that killed at least 200 Israelis and injured hundreds more.

According to the outlet, the Israeli military said the nation was attacked on land, sea and air via paragliders, in addition to approximately 2,200 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip that were heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in southern Israel.

Related: Rockets, Counterstrikes and Scores of Dead: What to Know About the Escalating Israel-Palestinian Violence

The news network also reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas took “hostages and prisoners of war.” IDF spokesman Lt. Colonel Richard Hecht added in a briefing that national military soldiers “are fighting on the ground as we speak.”

“We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war,” Netanyahu said, per CNN. He added that they had plans to “clear communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists.”

In response, the Palestinian health ministry said Israel launched a counterattack in which they killed 232 Palestinians and injured 1,697, CNN reports.

Biden, 80, issued a statement on Saturday explaining his stance on the matter after recently speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu “about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel.”

“The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made 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 a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation.  My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”

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“Jill and I are keeping in our prayers all of the families who have been hurt by this violence,” President Biden added. “We are heartbroken by the lives that have been tragically cut short and hope for a swift recovery for all those who have been wounded.

“My team and I are tracking this situation closely, and I will remain in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the statement concluded.

Israel and Palestine have been fighting for the right to claim Jerusalem as their capital for decades. Although Israel governs Jerusalem, Palestinians want control of East Jerusalem, which consists of the West Bank and Gaza, where several Palestinians now reside following their displacement as a result of 20th-century Arab-Israeli conflicts that began around the formation of Israel.

The international community, including the U.S. and the U.N., strive for the warring nations to agree on a possible two-state solution and achieve peace.

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