The United States** said it would provide military assistance to Israel "until they eliminate Hamas."
Joe Biden expressed his "unshakable" commitment to Israel's security at a reception at the White House on Monday to mark Jewish Hanukkah. He also pledged to continue to provide military support to Israel in the event of a conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.
The United States remains Israel's most important ally in the ongoing conflict, and Israel's bombing of Gaza has sparked widespread condemnation in the Arab world and beyond. According to local medical authorities, the attack resulted in a large number of civilians**.
On Monday, Biden slammed the "disgusting" surge in anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world during the conflict. "We've seen this happen in our communities, in schools, in colleges, and in social **," he said, adding that "silence is complicity." ”
* To Jewish legislators and other attendees, he said that his "commitment to the security of the Jewish people and the security of Israel, and Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state, is unshakable." He then vowed to "continue to provide military assistance to Israel until they eliminate Hamas," but added that both Washington and Israel must be careful not to provoke the "world."
Over the weekend, Biden** bypassed Congressional authorization for Israeli military aid and urgently approved $106.5 billion worth of tank ammunition to West Jerusalem**. The move comes as the White House struggles to get Congress to approve $106 billion in supplemental security spending, including $14.3 billion for Israel.
The United States** also said he felt an "unquestionable" connection to the Jewish community. "A few years ago, I had trouble and criticism when I said you don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, and I am a Zionist," he added, speaking at a rally of about 800 people.
Last week, the United States was the only member of the United Nations Security Council to veto an emergency resolution calling for an emergency ceasefire in Gaza. On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said there was "a serious risk of hunger and famine", noting that 97 per cent of households in northern Gaza and 83 per cent of displaced people in the south were "not well fed".
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians, and Israel launched a military operation in Gaza. The militants also took more than 240 people hostage.
The IDF carried out a massive bombardment of a Palestinian enclave, followed by a ground operation. According to the latest estimates from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll in the enclave linked to Israeli operations has exceeded 18,400.