Biden confirms US citizens are among Hamas hostages in sharp condemnation of attacks on Israel

President Joe Biden confirmed Tuesday that Americans are known to be among the hostages held by Hamas after its rampage over the weekend, delivering an emotional and angered denunciation of the terror and making clear he expected a forceful reprisal by Israel.

The president delivered vivid descriptions of the atrocities carried out by the militants, saying they had "butchered" and "massacred" innocents. Biden said the known number of Americans killed now stands at 14.

"It's abhorrent," he said. "The brutality of Hamas' bloodthirstiness brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS."

The 10-minute speech appeared designed to ensure there is little daylight between the US and Israel at a moment of deep crisis. The president made no equivocation about the attacks and made no call for restraint by Israel as it responds, apart from insisting it follow the rule of law.

Recounting in stark terms the "sheer evil" of the attack, Biden warned other governments in the region not to step into the fray to exploit the situation: "I have one word: Don't."

Biden, who spoke earlier with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offered his own view of what the country's response might look like.

"I told him that if the United States experienced what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive, and overwhelming," Biden said from the State Dining Room.