Biden confirms Americans among hostages captured in Israel, condemns ‘sheer evil’ of Hamas militants
Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday confirmed that U.S. citizens are among the hostages captured by Hamas as he condemned the militant group for the “sheer evil” of its shocking weekend assault on Israel. “I have one word: Don’t.” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. does not know the precise number of Americans taken hostage. Biden is also dispatching his top diplomat to Israel to show U.S. support after the attacks, the State Department said Tuesday. The Ford carrier strike group has arrived in the far Eastern Mediterranean, within range to provide a host of air support or long-range strike options for Israel if requested, but also to surge U.S. military presence there to prevent the war from spilling over into a more dangerous regional conflict, officials said.