In Tel Aviv, US President Joe Biden says that the explosion at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza appears to have been caused by Gazan terrorist groups and not by Israel.
"I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the Gaza hospital yesterday. Based on what I have seen, it seems to have been done by the other group, not by you," he said, publicly supporting Israel's version of events.
But, he adds, "there are a lot of people out there who are not sure."
Biden tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is "here for one simple reason - I want the people of Israel and the people of the world to know where the United States is."
Biden stressed that Hamas "slaughtered" its victims, including 31 Americans.
"They have committed evils and atrocities that make ISIS seem somewhat more rational," he noted.
"Hamas does not represent the entire Palestinian people and has brought them nothing but suffering."
He said the U.S. will ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.
"The world is watching," Biden continued. "Israel has values like the United States and other democracies, and they're looking to see what we're going to do."
"I look forward to having a thorough discussion about where everyone goes from here," Biden says.
He concludes with a message to the Israelis, calling their bravery and commitment "amazing."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells US President Joe Biden that Hamas crimes included rape, burning, kidnapping and targeting of young children and says the death toll is 1,400 and possibly higher.
"Hamas murdered children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. They burned people alive. They raped and murdered women. They beheaded soldiers. They searched for secret hiding places where parents hid their children. And imagine, Mr. President, the fear and panic of those young children as the monsters discovered, discovered, their hiding places.
"Hamas kidnapped women and children, elderly people, Holocaust survivors. I know you share our anger about this. And I know you share our determination to bring these people back.
"On October 7," he says, "Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis, maybe more. This is happening in a country of less than 10 million people. That would be the equivalent of more than 50,000 Americans murdered in one day. That's 20 9/11s. Therefore, October 7 is another day to live in hubris," Netanyahu says.
"Just as the civilized world united to defeat the Nazis and united to defeat ISIS, the civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu adds, stressing that Israel is united and Israel will defeat Hamas "and remove this terrible threat from our lives. . The forces of civilization will prevail - for our sake, for your sake, for peace and security in our region and in the world."
He said that "for the people of Israel, there is only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel, and that is standing with Israel."
Netanyahu noted that Biden is the first US president to visit Israel in wartime, calling it "deeply, deeply moving."
"It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to Israel. It speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to the future of the Jewish people and the one and only Jewish state."
Netanyahu concluded by thanking Biden for standing with Israel "today, tomorrow and always."
«Θέλω να σας ευχαριστήσω που ήρθατε εδώ σήμερα και για την αδιαμφισβήτητη υποστήριξη που δώσατε στο Ισραήλ σε αυτές τις δύσκολες στιγμές, μια υποστήριξη που αντανακλά τη συντριπτική βούληση του αμερικανικού λαού», είπε ο πρωθυπουργός Μπενιαμίν Νετανιάχου στον Πρόεδρο των ΗΠΑ Τζο Μπάιντεν σε κοινές δηλώσεις. ανάγνωση από έτοιμες σημειώσεις.
«Βλέπουμε την υποστήριξή σας καθημερινά στο εύρος και το βάθος της συνεργασίας που είχαμε από την αρχή αυτού του πολέμου».
Ο Νετανιάχου αποκαλεί τη συνεργασία «πραγματικά άνευ προηγουμένου».
Ο Νετανιάχου επαινεί τον Μπάιντεν που παρείχε στο Ισραήλ «τα εργαλεία που χρειαζόμαστε για να υπερασπιστούμε τον εαυτό μας» και «για το ξεκάθαρο μήνυμα που στείλατε στους εχθρούς μας να μην δοκιμάσουν την αποφασιστικότητά μας».
Επισημαίνει επίσης τα δύο αμερικανικά αεροπλανοφόρα που έστειλε ο Μπάιντεν στην περιοχή «για να υποστηρίξει αυτά τα λόγια με δράση».
«Αλλά πάνω από όλα, κύριε Πρόεδρε, ο κόσμος βλέπει αυτή την υποστήριξη και την ηθική διαύγεια που επιδείξατε από τη στιγμή που δέχθηκε επίθεση στο Ισραήλ».
Ο Νετανιάχου λέει ότι ο Μπάιντεν «έχει χαράξει μια σαφή γραμμή μεταξύ των δυνάμεων του πολιτισμού και των δυνάμεων της βαρβαρότητας».
