President Biden addresses Israeli conflict before 'junk fees' press conference
Biden pledged 'unshakable' support for Israeli 'security' and 'safety' during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden. (CBS)
President Biden pledged "unshakeable" support for Israel's safety and security during a Wednesday address from the White House.
Prior to speaking about the roll-out of policies combating "junk fees" from companies in the U.S., the president took a moment to speak about the unfolding violence in Israel.
"We continue to monitor the situation in Israel very closely. The vice president and I and the bulk of my security team spoke with the prime Minister Netanyahu again this morning," Biden told the press. "And I'll be speaking about [the call] this afternoon during my meeting with Jewish-American leaders."
President Biden announces new actions to protect consumers from hidden junk fees, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 2,100 people have been killed on both sides in the war since Hamas launched its attack against Israel on Saturday, leading to retaliatory action from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage, raped, tortured and murdered by Hamas.
"This attack has brought to the surface the painful memories and scars left by a millennium [of] antisemitism and genocide against the Jewish people. And this moment, we have to be crystal clear," Biden said in his remarks. "There is no justification for terrorism, no excuse. And the type of terrorism exhibited here is just beyond the pale."
Israel has mobilized roughly 360,000 reservists to join the war against Hamas. The draft is the largest-ever for Israel, as the Israeli military prepares for a ground operation in Gaza to go on the offensive against the terror group.
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"As I said yesterday, my commitment to Israel's security and the safety of the Jewish people is unshakable," the president concluded. "The United States has Israel's back. And we're going to be working on this all through the day and beyond."
Biden was previously criticized by conservatives for not mentioning Iran, a state sponsor of Hamas, in an address to the nation Tuesday when he reacted to the terrorist group’s attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 Israelis dead.
The president once again dodged the topic in his Wednesday remarks.
President Biden took a moment before his address on Wednesday to speak about the ongoing violence in Israel, assuring the public that the U.S. has an "unshakeable" commitment to the Jewish nation. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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During a televised speech Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack."
Khamenei, who was wearing a Palestinian scarf and delivering his first broadcast remarks since Hamas launched attacks on Israel on Saturday, also said Tehran was not involved, according to Reuters.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a press conference Tuesday that while Iran is "complicit" in the attack given its financial and material support of Hamas in recent years, there is not yet evidence that it helped organize the attack.
Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
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