Biden, Harris mark one year since Oct. 7 attack
President Biden and Vice President Harris on Monday marked the anniversary of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, backing Israel’s right to defend itself amid concerns about a wider war in the Middle East.
The separate statements from the two leaders differed only slightly. Both said their support from Israel was unwavering, both condemned the wave of antisemitism that followed the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and both highlighted the suffering in Gaza amid an Israeli military campaign that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
“Today marks one year of mourning for the more than 1,200 innocent people of all ages, including 46 Americans, massacred in southern Israel by the terrorist group Hamas,” Biden said in a statement. “One year since Hamas committed horrific acts of sexual violence. One year since more than 250 innocents were taken hostage, including 12 Americans. One year for the survivors carrying wounds, seen and unseen, who will never be the same. And one year of a devastating war.
“On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7th attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day” Biden said in a statement.
Biden noted he visited Israel shortly after the Hamas attacks, and he cited his administration’s ongoing work to broker a cease-fire deal and free the remaining hostages. Hamas has so far released more than 100 hostages, including some Americans, though others have been found dead.
“One year later, Vice President Harris and I remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist,” Biden said. “We support Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran. Last week, at my direction, the United States military once again actively assisted in the successful defense of Israel, helping to defeat an Iranian ballistic missile attack.”
The statements from both leaders called out the impact the past year has had on the Palesitnians in Gaza. Biden in particular has drawn criticism from members of his own party for not doing more to hold Israel accountable for its military campaign that has killed thousands of civilians, including women and children.
“We will not stop working to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza that brings the hostages home, allows for a surge in humanitarian aid to ease the suffering on the ground, assures Israel’s security, and ends this war,” Biden said. “Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live in security, dignity, and peace.”
Harris’s statement hit many of the same notes, including when it came to the situation in Gaza. She said she was “heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year.”
“It is far past time for a hostage and ceasefire deal to end the suffering of innocent people,” Harris said. “And I will always fight for the Palestinian people to be able to realize their right to dignity, freedom, security, and self-determination.”
Harris, who is the Democratic nominee for president, has faced pressure from some activists to vow to take a different approach from Biden to the war between Israel and Hamas. But she has not outlined any specific steps she would take to act differently, only insisting that there needs to be a cease-fire deal and an agreement to free the remaining hostages.
Date: | |
Tag: | Joe Biden |
Topics
-
Top stories - CBS News
How Biden is marking 1 year since Oct. 7 attacks
President Biden is mourning the roughly 1,200 Israelis who were killed during Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks a year ago. CBS News senior White House correspondent reports on how Biden is observing the day.1 hour ago - Joe Biden -
Top stories - CBS News
Israel marks one year since deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas
A ceremony was held Monday at the site of a music festival where hundreds of victims were killed one year ago when Hamas attacked Israel, sparking the ongoing war in Gaza. Over the weekend there ...3 hours ago - Israel -
Top stories - CBS News
Israel marks one year since Oct. 7 attacks
Israel is marking one year since around 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage in Hamas' October 7 attacks. The attacks sparked the war in Gaza, where local health officials say ...3 hours ago - Israel -
Politics - The Hill
Watch live: Biden to mark one year since Hamas attack on Israel
President Biden will offer remarks Monday morning to recognize the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that left 1,200 people dead. The ensuing war in Gaza has killed more than ...2 hours ago - Joe Biden -
Top stories - CBS News
As Israel marks 1 year since Oct. 7 attacks, war in Gaza rages and Israelis call for hostage deal
One year ago, about 1,200 Israelis were killed and dozens were taken hostage in Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. CBS News' Chris Livesay and Elizabeth Palmer ...1 hour ago - Israel -
Top stories - The New York Times
The Year Since Oct. 7
Two men in Israel and Gaza talk about how their lives have changed.6 hours ago -
Top stories - CBS News
Family of Israeli hostage still held in Gaza speaks out one year after Oct. 7 attack
One year ago, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, including on the Nova Music Festival where more than 360 people were killed and 40 taken hostage. Omer Shem Tov had initially escaped but ...2 hours ago - Israel -
Politics - The Hill
McConnell praises Israel’s 'unshakeable resolve' one year after Oct. 7 attacks
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praised Israel’s “unshakeable resolve” to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that left more than 1,200 people dead in ...3 hours ago - Israel -
World - The New York Times
Key Moments in the Middle East War Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 Attack on Israel: Timeline
Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the 12 months of conflagration that has followed.30 minutes ago - Israel
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Democrats accuse food, beverage companies of ‘profiteering’ through ‘shrinkflation’
Two Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to some of the country’s biggest food and beverage companies arguing they are “profiteering” through “shrinkflation,” the practice of reducing product ...46 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
The imagined national debt crisis: A long-running distraction
Republicans in the House of Representatives threatened to shut down the government in September 2024 in order to reduce the national debt, but Democrats bailed them out, recognizing that closing ...54 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
Trump says son Barron heard about assassination attempt on tennis court
Former President Trump said his youngest son, Barron, was playing tennis when he learned in July that his father had been shot at the Butler, Pa. rally. Trump recounted the experience in a sit-down ...1 hour ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
Musk-founded PAC says it will give $47 for every swing-state voter referral who signs petition
The America PAC, founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is asking the public to sign a petition in favor of the First and Second Amendments and offering supporters $47 for each subsequent ...1 hour ago -
Politics - The Hill
US spending on Middle East conflict tops $22B since Oct. 7: Research
The United States government has spent more than $22 billion on fighting the conflict in the Middle East since war erupted a year ago on Oct. 7, 2023, according to new research. The Costs of War ...1 hour ago