SEN. DAN SULLIVAN SAYS ISRAEL HAS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF
The Islamist militant organization Hamas initiated a major surprise attack on Israel, with the launch of approximately 5,000 rockets at dawn on Saturday, followed by reports of gunmen attacks and hostage-taking incidents, according to the Associated Press.
The assault commenced with a relentless and unprecedented barrage of rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip toward various locations across Israel.
As sirens blared across southern and central Israel, including the historic city of Jerusalem, the Israeli military swiftly declared a state of war, prompting a nationwide response to the crisis, according to AP and CNN.
Reports suggest that at least 70 people have been killed in the attacks, with 900 known to be wounded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of top security officials to address the crisis and the Israeli armed forces is mobilized to counter the attack.
The surprise attack on Israel marks an escalation in the ongoing and historic tensions between the Israeli government and the Palestinian territories, which stretch back to the 1967 war. Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel and several other countries, has been involved in multiple conflicts with Israel over the years.
Hamas is an offshoot of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which became prominent in the 1980s. Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after defeating Fatah, its rival political party, Fatah, in elections in 2006. It is known for its suicide bombings and occasional rocket attacks against Israel, which it is determined to destroy.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement urging Israel to not defend itself: “We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”
The Israeli government appears to not be listening to the U.S. Embassy. According to the New York Times, “Nearly 12 hours after the Palestinian militant assault began, firefights between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants are still raging in Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, Hagari said. He said there are two main battles taking place in Ofakim and Beeri, where Palestinian militants have taken Israelis hostage.”
President Biden took a different approach than the U.S. Embassy, offering support to Israel. On Twitter, his staff wrote for him: “Today, I spoke with @IsraeliPM about the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. @FLOTUS and I express our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”
Biden has no announced public schedule today and his staff has not said where he is, or if he off for the weekend to his beach house.
On Sept. 11, Biden agreed to pay a type of ransom to Iran, which is the most prominent supporter of Hamas. The deal gave Tehran access to $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen by U.S. sanctions, according to a State Department document sent to Congress. The money was part of a prisoner swap.
Now, Hamas has new prisoners, holding dozens of Israelis hostage in a kibbutz and others in Gaza.
Sen. Dan Sullivan said Israel has a right to defend itself.
“America stands with the people of @Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, as they repel a widespread assault launched by Hamas terrorists today at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot,” Sullivan noted on X/Twitter.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and its existence against any terrorist group or its backers, including the largest state sponsor of terrorism—Iran. We must support this right of our close ally during this horrendous attack on innocent Israelis,” Sullivan said. “The terrorist regime in Iran must know that the United States is watching its actions very closely.”
(This is a developing story and accounts are likely to differ.)
