'Civilised World Must Unite To Defeat Hamas', Says PM Netanyahu, Calls Joe Biden 'True Friend' Of Israel

US President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and show support to its Middle Eastern ally as Israel entered into the 12th day of war against the Hamas terror group.

TEL AVIV: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that the civilised world must unite to defeat the Palestinian terror group Hamas in a joint press briefing with US President Joe Biden, who arrived in Tel Aviv to show support to his nation's Middle Eastern ally as Israel entered into the 12th day of war against Hamas. ''On Oct 7 Hamas murdered 1400 Israelis in a single day...October 7th is another day that will live in infamy. Mr President, you rightly said that Hamas is worse than ISIS. The civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas..," PM Netanyahu said.

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the visiting US President, PM Netanyahu stated, "For the people of Israel, there is only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel and that is having you standing in Israel. Your visit here is the visit of an American President in Israel at the time of war. It is deeply moving...I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say - thank you, Mr President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always."

#WATCH | Israel | In Tel Aviv, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, "For the people of Israel, there is only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel and that is having you standing in Israel. Your visit here is the visit of an American President in… pic.twitter.com/e6LBaBnBUC — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2023

Speaking in his turn, US President Joe Biden strongly condemned the 'atrocities' committed by Hamas, who killed hundreds of civilians and took several dozens of hostages. "They (Hamas) committed atrocities that make ISIS look somewhat rational. We also have to bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and has brought them only suffering," he added.

"...Terrorist group Hamas has slaughtered over 1300 people...including 31 Americans. They have taken scores of people hostage, including children...They have committed atrocities that make ISIS look somewhat more rational."

#WATCH | Israel | In Tel Aviv, US President Joe Biden says, "...I was deeply sad by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. Based on what I have seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you. But there are a lot of people out there..."

(Video Source:… pic.twitter.com/zBO35JMMNw — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2023

The US President was earlier received by PM Netanyahu and President Issac Herzog on the tarmac. The usual formalities for such a visit, such as a greeting by the full Israeli cabinet and religious leaders, were not observed. The US President's visit comes after an explosion on a hospital in Gaza which claimed the lives of hundreds present in and near the premises.

Biden has arrived in Tel Aviv to show support to the US' Middle Eastern ally as Israel entered into the 12th day of war against Hamas. Security measures were significantly strengthened ahead of the US President's official visit to war-torn Israel. To ensure the safety of the US President, several roads were closed and security personnel have been deployed in the city.

Earlier, US National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, said that President Biden will call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure there is no further escalation in the ongoing war with terror group Hamas.

"When he talks to PM Netanyahu, he'll be asking some tough questions, as a true friend of Israel. He's also going to make it clear that we continue to want to see this conflict not expand, not deepen...He will address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, making it clear, that we want to see humanitarian assistance flow in," Kirby said.   

Sharing further details of the President's visit to Israel, he said that Biden and PM Netanyahu will have a "very small, restricted," bilateral meeting, adding that the former will also engage with some families that lost their loved ones in the Hamas terror attacks.

Kirby, who was on board Air Force One en route to Israel, also brought up the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which has claimed several lives, saying that Israel had already denied any involvement in the explosion. However, he said that President Biden has ordered the National Security team to get more details on the nature of the explosion and find out who was responsible.

"They (Israel) have categorically denied that they were involved in that, so I'll let them speak to their statement on that. I wouldn't characterize this as an investigation. He (President Biden) has directed the National Security team to gather as much information and context as possible. We all want to know how this could have happened," Kirby added.

Meanwhile, the IDF released footage from the time of the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, showing a failed launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad caused the blast, rather than an Israeli airstrike. Earlier on October 16, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel, the second time within a few days, to pledge support for the country as it prepares a major military offensive in Gaza.