Biden: ‘I Refuse to Be Silent’ on Hamas Attack

President Joe Biden spoke emotionally and said he's working tirelessly to bring back Americans who are stuck in Gaza. He also asked the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to follow the rules of war while responding to what he called a "very cruel campaign" by Hamas.

We don't know how many of the 20 or more Americans missing in Israel were taken by Hamas. Biden compared Hamas to the violent Islamic State because of their brutal attack on Israel, including beheadings and killing babies.

Biden and his team are working around the clock to solve this crisis and bring the Americans home safely. He said, "I can't reveal all the details, but we're doing everything we can."

Biden spoke at a meeting with Jewish community leaders, and he mentioned that people often ask him what he's doing to bring back the Americans. He said it's not possible to share all the information, and it's a bit strange to talk about it in public.

Despite condemning the terrible attack, Biden also asked Netanyahu not to respond too aggressively, as that might make things worse. Israel had ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, leaving many people, including children, without basic necessities. This was an attempt to cut off resources for Hamas, but it created a humanitarian crisis for Palestinians.

Biden didn't go into specifics about his conversation with Netanyahu but mentioned that he has known him for a long time and they have honest talks. He emphasized the importance of Israel following the rules of war during their actions.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, went to Israel to meet with Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He talked about the importance of following international laws and avoiding harm to civilians, in contrast to how Hamas uses civilians as shields.

Netanyahu and Benny Gantz agreed to form a unity government to respond to the Hamas attack.

Biden has a lot of foreign policy experience, having served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but this situation in Israel has deeply affected him. He got emotional when talking about the atrocities committed against children and young women.

Biden shared how he took his children and grandchildren to see the concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, to make sure they understood the horrors of history. He passionately said, "Silence is complicity," and he refuses to stay silent. He urged others not to stay silent either.