74 Americans pulled from Gaza, says Biden

President Biden on Thursday said 74 dual-citizen Americans were evacuated from Gaza, where Israel forces are trying to root out Hamas terrorists who raided their country on Oct. 7.

Mr. Biden announced the development in brief remarks at the start of a White House meeting with Luis Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic.

“Good news. We got out today 74 American folks, dual citizens,” Mr. Biden said.

The administration and partners are trying to evacuate Americans, hospital patients and others from Gaza as fears mount over the civilian death toll in the Hamas-controlled strip of land between Egypt and Israel.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the evacuees crossed into Egypt and are in addition to five Americans or dual citizens who arrived earlier.

“We still fully expect that more Americans will be able to depart,” he said. “It’s a fluid situation.”

Mr. Biden and other officials say they stand by Israel but the Middle East ally must follow international law and safeguard Palestinian lives while fighting Hamas in Gaza.

“Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.

At the same time, Mr. Blinken said Israel and other democracies have a duty “to do everything possible” to protect civilians who might be caught in harm’s way.

He said safeguarding civilians was complicated by Hamas’ use of them as human shields.

Mr. Blinken said seeing the body of a Palestinian child pulled from the rubble “hits me in the gut” just as much as seeing the body of a child from Israel or anywhere else.

Mr. Biden discussed the Middle East situation with a pair of leaders from the Americas on Thursday. Besides Mr. Abinader, he met with Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

Mr. Biden did not respond to shouted questions during the Chile meeting, though Mr. Boric nodded when asked if he planned to bring up concerns about Israel during the meeting.