As war rages in the Middle East, it is important to know what those who lead our nation and may lead in the future think about the conflict.

From The Christian Post. President Joe Biden and other 2024 presidential hopefuls reacted to the terrorist attacks launched against Israel Saturday, an assault that many candidates asserted resulted from the Biden administration’s weak foreign policies that have led to the Israel-Hamas war.

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On Saturday, Hamas launched a surprise assault against Israel during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot — a time when Orthodox Jewish civilians would have all of their gadgets turned off, including their computers and phones — firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating the border near Gaza. Hamas is the terrorist group that gained control of Gaza after winning elections in 2006 and seized control from the Palestinian Authority.

As The Christian Post reported Monday, the death toll continues to surge, with at least 900 Israelis killed and 700 killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities. Between 100 and 150 hostages are being held by Hamas in Gaza, including Americans. The Biden administration confirmed in a statement Monday afternoon that at least 11 Americans were killed in Israel by Hamas.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah claimed that Iranian security officials helped Hamas plan the attacks against Israel.

Following the assault on the Jewish state, a majority of candidates appear to be united in their support for Israel; however, many condemned the Biden administration for policies they believed paved the way for Hamas’ invasion.

Here are seven presidential candidates’ reactions to Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel and the U.S. response.

President Joe Biden 

Biden addressed Hamas’ attack against Israel on Saturday afternoon, several hours after the assault began, informing the public that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the United States would stand with its ally in the Middle East.

“There is never justification for terrorist acts,” the president said in his remarks from the State Dining Room. “And my administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”

The president indicated that his administration would ensure Israel has what it needs and that it would remain in contact with Netanyahu and leaders throughout the region, including Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, as well as European partners and the Palestinian Authority.

“This is also a terrible tragedy on a human level,” Biden continued. “It’s hurting innocent people — seeing the lives that have been broken by this, the families torn apart. It’s heartbreaking.”

As The Associated Press reported Saturday, many Republicans criticized the Biden administration for unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds as part of a deal in September to release five U.S. citizens detained in Iran. Hamas and Iran share a hatred for Israel, the newswire added.

Sen. Tim Scott

Scott, a Republican from South Carolina and a 2024 presidential hopeful, condemned Hamas’ terrorist attacks against the Jewish state as an assault on Western Civilization in a Saturday post on the social media platform X. He accused the Biden administration of funding the assault against Israelis.

“America’s weakness is blood in the water for bad actors, but this is worse than that,” Scott wrote. “We didn’t just invite this aggression, we paid for it. Iran is the biggest funder of Hamas. This is the Biden $6 billion ransom payment at work.”

Chris Christie

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another 2024 candidate, also criticized the Biden administration’s decision to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets, claiming that it showed “weakness.”

Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, stated in a Saturday post on X that her ability to respond to criticisms is limited due to federal restrictions.

“But I can clarify the facts: Not a single cent from these funds has been spent, and when it is spent, it can only be spent on things like food and medicine for the Iranian people,” she wrote. “These funds have absolutely nothing to do with the horrific attacks today, and this is not the time to spread disinformation.”

In a Monday tweet, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, referred to a now-deleted tweet from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a cease-fire as “absolutely disgraceful.”

Blinken stated in the now-deleted post that he had spoken with the Turkish foreign minister, encouraging advocacy for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages taken by Hamas.

“The U.S. must ensure Israel has all the weapons and the time it needs to utterly destroy Hamas,” Cruz wrote. “Calling for premature ceasefires means siding with Hamas and absolving Hamas of murder, rape, torture, and unspeakable war crimes.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy, who recently announced that he plans to abandon his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination and run as an independent, promised that, as president, he would enact policies that would deter Israel’s enemies from attacking the Jewish state.

“I applaud the strong statements of support from the Biden White House for Israel in her hour of need,” he said in a Saturday statement.

“However, the scale of these attacks means it is likely that Israel will need to wage a sustained military campaign to protect its citizens. Statements of support are fine, but we must follow through with unwavering, resolute, and practical action.”

The independent presidential candidate asserted that Americans must continue supporting Israel as the nation exercises its right to self-defense.

As The Times of Israel reported Monday, additional rocket strikes pounded Israeli communities following Israel’s counterattack against the Hamas terror group in Gaza and formal declaration of war. In response to Israel’s counterstrikes, Hamas has threatened that it will start executing hostages.

The IDF’s Home Front Command is also warning Israelis to ensure they have an adequate supply of food and water and to review the location of their nearest bomb shelter.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

DeSantis, a 2024 presidential contender, criticized the Biden administration’s dealings with Iran and for releasing $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds as part of a prisoner swap deal.

On Saturday, DeSantis released a video statement linking Iran to Hamas’ attack against Israel, which he described as the result of “Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran have helped fill their coffers.”

“Israel is now paying the price for those policies. We’re going to stand with the state of Israel,” DeSantis said. “They need to root out Hamas, and we need to stand up to Iran.”

On Monday, DeSantis shared a link to resources on his X page for Floridians currently in Israel, promising that the Florida Department of State would continue to update the page. The webpage DeSantis linked to in the X post instructed U.S. citizens to enroll their contact information in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Vivek Ramaswamy

Another GOP presidential contender, Vivek Ramaswamy, stated in a Saturday X post that he is “appalled” by what he described as “medieval Hamas attacks.” Ramaswamy declared that he stands with Israel, and he urged the rest of the United States to do the same.

“Shooting civilians and kidnapping children are war crimes. Israel’s right to exist & defend itself should never be doubted and Iran-backed Hamas & Hezbollah cannot be allowed to prevail,” Ramaswamy wrote about the attack.

In a separate X post, Ramaswamy asserted that America can learn a lesson from the attack on Israel about defending its borders, pointing to the United States’ ongoing border crisis. Ramaswamy described the Southern Border as a “disaster” and warned that his recent visit to the Northern Border leaves him fearful that it leaves the country open to attack.

“Hamas picked a moment when Israel is deeply divided over domestic politics, as we are now here at home,” he wrote. “Our own foreign policy establishment has focused on distant foreign priorities while leaving us badly vulnerable on border defense, cyber and super-EMP defense, nuclear missile defense, and space-based defenses.”

“We can’t lose sight of that & should use the attacks on Israel as a wake-up call here at home,” Ramaswamy stated.

Nikki Haley

Former South Carolina governor and current 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley highlighted the deaths of 9 Americans in a Monday post on X, declaring that the issue is “personal.”

“Hamas terrorists don’t distinguish between Israelis & Americans, between grandmothers & soldiers,” Haley wrote. “They are blood thirsty murderers who chant “death to Israel, death to America. Finish them.”

In a separate tweet posted on the same day, the former United States ambassador to the United Nations outlined multiple steps for how the country could support its ally in the Middle East, insisting that the United States must act “immediately.”

According to Haley, the United States must provide Israel with all the arms and intelligence it needs for self-defense and “destroy the terrorists in its midst.” She also called for the country to place all regional governments on notice, particularly the government of Lebanon, informing them that “they must not allow the use of their territory to engage in this battle.”

“End American taxpayer support for all Palestinian entities or United Nations-backed entities that side with Hamas or fail to denounce antisemitic activity,” Haley proposed as another plan of action, concluding the list by calling for the freezing of Iranian access to the $6 billion in Qatari banks.

The former ambassador suggested sending the money to Israel instead, and she also called for the United States to enforce sanctions on Iran and purchasers of Iranian oil.

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(Used with permission. By Samantha Kamman from The Christian Post. Photo Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)