Washington, Sep 3 (EFE).- White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that following the murder this weekend of six hostages who had been kidnapped on October 7, one of them an American, the terrorist group Hamas has “even more American blood on its hands.”
“The latest events were atrocious, atrocious killings, and Hamas has even more American blood on its hands,” he said at a daily press conference.
The White House confirmed early Sunday that Israeli forces found the lifeless bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in Gaza, including that of young American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
“Hamas leaders will pay for this crime. I am not going to broadcast from here, from this podium, what is going to happen, but we want to make it very clear who is responsible and what the United States’ position is in this,” Jean-Pierre said.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday that the United States wants to see Hamas leaders held accountable for their crimes, whether they are brought to justice or killed on the battlefield.
“The Justice Department is seeking to hold those responsible for the deaths of Americans accountable or serve justice to terrorists through other means,” Miller said, adding that “Hamas’ leadership is responsible for the deaths of Hersh and the other hostages.”
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine has determined that the hostages were “killed” by “several shots” fired by Hamas militants, contradicting the Palestinian Islamist group, which has claimed they were killed by bombings.
According to a forensic examination, the hostages’ deaths are estimated to have occurred approximately 48 to 72 hours before their examination, between Thursday and early Friday morning.
“The president (Joe Biden) is committed to ensuring that we reach a ceasefire agreement that will end the war. He wants to see this war end, he wants to see aid continue to reach the Palestinian people, we want to increase assistance to Gaza for the Palestinian people and we want the hostages to come home,” Jean-Pierre said.
Following news of the hostages’ deaths this weekend, President Joe Biden said he was “devastated and shocked” by what had happened and warned that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.”
Biden added that he will continue to work “tirelessly to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
(c) EFE Agency
