Biden directs US agencies to prevent domestic threat after Hamas attacked Israel

Published 10/10/2023, 02:50 PM
Updated 10/10/2023, 03:51 PM
© Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, makes remarks after speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in Israel following Hamas' deadly at

By Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden said on Tuesday U.S. law enforcement agencies were taking steps to disrupt any domestic threat that may emerge after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' weekend attack on Israel that left hundreds dead.

The FBI said earlier it was "closely monitoring unfolding events" but added it "does not have specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas attacks in Israel."

Biden said police departments in the U.S. had "stepped up security around centers of Jewish life."

"There is no place for hate in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody," Biden said.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday killing hundreds of Israelis and seizing dozens of hostages. Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from Hamas' weekend attacks had surpassed 1,000.

Israel subsequently battered Palestinians with air strikes in Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 830 Palestinians were killed and up to 4,250 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday. The United Nations said more than 180,000 Gazans had been made homeless.

"We will not hesitate to adjust our security posture, as appropriate, to protect the American people," the FBI said earlier, adding it was coordinating with counterparts in the region as well as other international partners.

© Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, makes remarks after speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in Israel following Hamas' deadly attacks, from the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

In his remarks on Tuesday, Biden described Hamas' attack as an "act of sheer evil."

"There are moments in this life ... when the pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend," Biden said.

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