Biden’s SOTU to address ‘horrific’ Oct. 7 attack, hostages, Israel’s right to pursue Hamas, protecting civilians

In his State of the Union address tonight, US President Joe Biden will address Hamas’s “horrific attacks” on October 7 and “Israel’s right to go after Hamas and those responsible,” a senior US official briefing reporters says.

Biden will also stress “Israel’s fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and also to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the official says, noting the added burden faced by the IDF, given that Hamas hides and operates among civilians.

The president will also “speak to the plight of the hostages,” highlighting his efforts to broker a truce deal in November that allowed for the release of over 100 hostages. At least one of those freed hostages will be in the gallery for Biden’s speech, along with over a dozen relatives of hostages still in Gaza or of those who have been released.

“This is something we are working on constantly, not just to save the lives of the hostages and get them out, but also because this is a path to a ceasefire,” the official says.

“A ceasefire… will facilitate and enable the humanitarian surge that we’re working on. That is why [it] is first and foremost on our minds, on the President’s mind. He’ll obviously speak to that tonight,” the official adds.