Watch: Biden addresses Israel’s war with Hamas

Originally Published: 10 OCT 23 10:29 ET

Updated: 10 OCT 23 12:46 ET

By MJ Lee and Kevin Liptak, CNN

Washington (CNN) — Within hours of the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that left hundreds of people dead, President Joe Biden was on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

When Biden’s counterpart – reeling from one of the worst attacks on his country in decades – brought up the possibility of going into Gaza, the president did not warn him against doing so, a US official briefed on the conversation tells CNN.

That decision by the president – to hold back from urging Netanyahu to exercise restraint in the immediate aftermath of the attacks – in no small part reflects the sheer shock and breadth of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel that makes this moment different, officials say.

He’s expected to strike that tone publicly in a speech on Tuesday, according to officials familiar with his remarks.

Biden is set to speak for the second time since Hamas began attacking Israel on Saturday. When he does so, the emphasis will instead be on Israel’s right to defend itself and the US’s readiness to offer Israel the support it needs to do exactly that.

“We are not urging restraint right now,” one official said.

Biden is expected to have spoken with Netanyahu on the phone before he delivers his remarks. He has spoken twice with the Israeli prime minister since the attack began.

The president and his national security team are keenly aware of what appears to be a growing likelihood of Israel making a ground incursion into Gaza. Over the past 72 hours, officials have acknowledged what a deeply tenuous position that possibility puts the administration in. As a general matter, the US has historically urged for a ceasefire on all sides when conflicts have broken out in the region.

Further complicating the matter is the likelihood of American hostages being held inside Gaza. US officials have said they are accepting the very real possibility that Americans are among those forcibly taken into Gaza.

Biden’s remarks on Tuesday are not expected to be lengthy, and he will also provide an update on the US response to the attacks. One official described the remarks as part of what will be a “steady cadence” of communication from the president on this topic in the days ahead. He will also touch on the US role in the conflict – both now and going forward – as he looks to avoid further escalation.

White House officials are also cognizant of the fact that the attacks in Israel broke out at the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend in the US, and want to use Tuesday’s speech for Biden to address Americans who may not have been paying attention to his Saturday address.

Biden will also discuss the hostage situation and offer American assistance on that front. The US has so far not said how many Americans it believes may be held hostage.

Biden has been working on Tuesday’s speech with his advisers, who have been briefing him multiple times a day since Saturday’s attacks began.

In his phone calls with Netanyahu, Israel’s response has been one of the points of discussion, though officials are being careful to share the degree to which Biden is offering his view on what the scale of Israel’s response should be.

The Biden administration has always been very intent on handling those kinds of discussions very privately, and officials said this time will be no different.

Biden’s first written statement over the weekend did not include the term “ceasefire” – an omission that struck current and former administration officials alike.

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