The Blubber

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden confirmed that Americans are indeed among the hostages held by Hamas following its weekend rampage. In a passionate and indignant condemnation of the terror, he expressed his anticipation of a robust retaliation by Israel.

During his address, the president vividly depicted the atrocities committed by the militants, emphasizing that they had "butchered" and "massacred" innocent individuals. Biden revealed that the known count of Americans killed now stands at 14, and he strongly denounced the "abhorrent" brutality of Hamas, drawing parallels to the worst actions of ISIS.

The purpose of the 10-minute speech seemed to be ensuring close alignment between the U.S. and Israel during this profound crisis. The president left no room for ambiguity, offering no equivocation about the attacks and refraining from calling for restraint by Israel, except for emphasizing adherence to the rule of law.

In stark terms, Biden recounted the "sheer evil" of the attack and cautioned other governments in the region against exploiting the situation: "I have one word: Don't."

Having conversed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier, Biden provided his perspective on what the country's response might entail: "I told him that if the United States experienced what Israel is going through, our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming."

The confirmation that Americans are among the hostages seized by Hamas since the start of the attack, although largely assumed by administration officials, was officially disclosed in Biden's speech.