Biden in address to nation: ‘Hamas, Putin aim to annihilate neighboring democracies’

US President Joe Biden begins his address to the nation from the Oval Office on the ongoing Gaza and Ukraine wars declaring, “We’re facing an inflection point in history, one of those moments where the decisions we make today are going to determine the future for decades to come.”

Biden recaps his recent trip to Israel, highlighting his meetings with Israeli leaders and with the families of those held hostage in Gaza.

“As President, there is no higher priority for me than the safety of Americans held hostage,” he says.

“The Jewish people know perhaps better than anyone, that there’s no limit to the depravity of people who want to inflict pain on others in Israel,” Biden laments.

Biden says he also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and reiterated that the “US
remains committed to the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and to self determination.”

“The actions of Hamas don’t take that right away,” he asserts.

“I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life, including the explosion at the hospital in Gaza, which was not done by the Israelis,” he says, reiterating that the IDF was not responsible, despite Hamas claims to the contrary.

He then likens the Gaza conflict to the one in Ukraine, saying, “Hamas and Putin represent different threads. But they share this in common: They both want neighboring democracy completely annihilated.”