President Joe Biden stirred headlines on Wednesday with an unfortunate gaffe during his announcement of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, mistakenly attributing the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel to Hezbollah instead of Hamas.
The slip, made during a televised speech with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken by his side, has reignited discussions about the president’s history of verbal missteps, particularly in recent years.
During the press briefing, Biden said, “[After] more than 15 months of conflict that began with Hezbollah’s brutal massacre on October the 7th (ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas).” “More than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people. More than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza. Fighting in Gaza will stop and soon the hostages will return home and to their families,” he continued.
The October 7 attack by Hamas killed approximately 1,210 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 individuals taken hostage. This act triggered Israel’s prolonged military response, which resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian deaths, a majority of whom were women and children, over the next 15 months.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, is set to halt the devastating war. The deal includes a hostage exchange, with dozens of captives held by Hamas in Gaza being released, alongside hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.