The leaders of the US, Germany, Britain, France and Italy issued a joint statement on Monday condemning the attacks on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group and expressed their “steadfast and united support” for Israel.
“Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region,” said the statement by US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The US military is “surging” fresh supplies of air defenses, munitions and other security assistance to Israel to help it respond to an unprecedented weekend attack by Hamas, a senior US defense official said on Monday.
“Planes have already taken off,” the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to Pentagon reporters.
“We are surging support to Israel… We remain in constant ongoing contact with our counterparts in Israel to determine and then support their most urgent requirements.”
The United States has not yet detailed the extent of Israel’s requests for security assistance. But the US defense official said Washington was contacting the defense industry to expedite pending Israeli orders, and looking at the US military’s own stockpiles to help fill Israeli gaps.
A White House spokesperson said on Monday that the US government has no intention of putting military on the ground following the attacks on Israel by Hamas, but it will protect US interests in the region.
White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby said there was “no question that there’s a degree of complicity” by Iran in supporting Hamas but President Joe Biden’s administration has not seen tangible evidence Iran was directly involved in plotting the current attack.
Kirby told reporters the White House expects additional security requests from Israel and will try to fulfill those needs as quickly as possible.
He also said that “it’s too soon to say we’ve hit the brakes on” efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel but that such diplomacy should still be encouraged.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown Jr spoke on Monday with the Chief of the Israeli General Staff Herzi Halevi, the Pentagon said, adding they discussed Hamas’ attack and steps to strengthen US military posture in the region.
Brown warned Iran not to get involved in the crisis in Israel and said he did not want the conflict to the broaden.
Asked what his message for Iran was, Brown said: “Not to get involved.”
“We want to send a pretty strong message. We do not want this to broaden and the idea is for Iran to get that message loud and clear,” Brown told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Brussels.
Support for Israel and Ukraine
The official also appeared to dismiss concerns that the United States might struggle to supply Israel at the same time that it funnels weaponry to Ukraine.
“We are able to continue our support both to Ukraine, to Israel, and maintain our own global readiness,” the official said. Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, killing hundreds of Israelis and seizing dozens of hostages. The attack led Israel to declare war, and the spiraling violence threatens to start a major new war in the Middle East.
The senior US official compared the attack by Hamas to “ISIS-level savagery,” a characterization echoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also said on Monday that Hamas’ attack mirrored those carried out by the jihadist group Islamic State.
US citizens killed and captured by Hamas
US President Joe Biden said at least 11 American citizens were among those killed in Israel and added US citizens were likely among the Hamas hostages.
“I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The senior US defense official said there was not yet any evidence seen by the United States of Iran being behind the attack in Israel, following a report by the Wall Street Journal alleging Iranian security officials helped plan it.
“Of course, Iran is in the picture. Iran has provided support for years to the Hamas and Hezbollah. But we have no information corroborating the specifics of the Wall Street Journal story at this time,” the official said.
Demonstrations in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian authorities on Monday condemned demonstrations across Canada glorifying violence by supporting Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel,” Trudeau said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter.
“The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada,” he added.
Trudeau joined a solidarity gathering for Israel late on Monday and condemned Hamas’ attack in his address. Political leaders from across the spectrum in Canada have expressed support for Israel.
When asked if he made a distinction between pro-Palestinian protesters and demonstrators supporting Hamas, his office declined to comment.
There were competing demonstrations and rallies through Monday by different groups across Canada, including in Toronto, where some 1,000 protesters gathered in a demonstration organized by a group called Palestinian Youth Movement.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow denounced the demonstrations in the city and said they were unsanctioned. Chow added: “The government of Canada has rightly listed Hamas as a terrorist organization.”
Canadian province Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, also said “hate rallies celebrating the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli people by terrorists are reprehensible and disgusting.”
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday killing hundreds of Israelis and seizing dozens of hostages. Israeli TV channels said the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 injured.
Israel subsequently battered Palestinians with air strikes in Gaza. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians have been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
Mona Ayesh, a 46-year-old Palestinian-Canadian woman, who attended the Toronto protest, condemned the Israeli occupation of West Bank and noted Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
“The illegal Israeli occupation has to end in order for this violence that happened to end,” she told Reuters.
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