Biden suggests Hamas attack inspired by US diplomacy with Saudis

President Biden said he believes Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel was inspired by progressing diplomacy in the region, especially with Saudi Arabia, spurred on by his administration.

In a press conference Friday falling on the beginning of a four-day truce in the conflict to release 50 hostages held by Hamas, Biden remarked on one of his theories for why Hamas began the conflict.

“I cannot prove what I'm about to say,” Biden said. “But I believe one of the reasons why Hamas struck when they did was they knew that I was working very closely with the Saudis and others in the region to bring peace to the region by having recognition of Israel and Israel's right to exist.”

The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people in border communities, sparking weeks of deadly air strikes and an Israeli ground campaign in Gaza which have killed thousands of Palestinians.

Diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Israel has significantly warmed in recent years, with the U.S. working toward normalizing relations between the two countries. Biden suggested that the Saudis were about to officially recognize the statehood of Israel, a major breakthrough in regional diplomacy, just before the attack.

He previously made the connection at a campaign fundraiser last month.

On Friday, Biden specifically pointed to his administration’s work at this year’s G20 Summit planning a massive rail project connecting India to Europe via the Middle East. The project included Israel, the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia among other partners.

“The whole idea there's overwhelming interest, and I think most Arab nations know that and are coordinating with one another to change the dynamic in their region for longer term peace,” Biden said. “And that is what I'm going to continue to work on.”