President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog Monday morning on the “solemn occasion” of the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas October 7 terrorist attacks, the White House said in a statement on Monday afternoon. Biden expressed his “deepest condolences to the people of Israel and to the families of the 1,200 innocent people – including 46 Americans – massacred by the terrorist group Hamas on a day of unspeakable brutality.”
The White House said Biden stressed that the United States will “never give up until we bring all of the remaining hostages home safely.”
According to the White House, Biden conveyed his commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist and “reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Iran and all Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”“The President also expressed deep sadness for the loss of innocent life in Gaza and the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians as a result of the war that Hamas unleashed,” according to the statement.
Reaffirm commitment to a deal
The White House said Biden and Herzog reaffirmed their commitment to “achieving a deal in Gaza that brings the hostages home, secures Israel, alleviates the suffering of Palestinian civilians, and paves the way for a lasting peace with Hamas never again able to control Gaza or reconstitute its military capabilities.”
It’s worth noting that Biden did not speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
It’s unclear the last time Biden and Netanyahu directly spoke with one another, a fact the White House has consistently tried to downplay in recent weeks as tensions have escalated on Israel’s northern front.
Biden and Netanyahu apparently did not speak after US forces were involved in defending Israel from a massive Iranian missile attack last week.