US and Hamas escalate war of words as Israeli bombs rain down on Gaza

President Joe Biden has confirmed that US citizens are among the hostages captured by Hamas in this weekend's attack on illegal Israeli settlements and towns and he condemned Hamas as "sheer evil" for its shocking multi-pronged attack that has killed hundreds of Israelis and foreigners including at least 14 American citizens.

The Palestinian resistance group on Tuesday immediately rejected Biden's remarks, saying they "are an attempt to cover up the crimes and terror of the Zionist government."

Biden said at the White House that there were "at least 14 American citizens killed" and "we now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas."

Biden also said Washington is ready to deploy more military assets to the region.

Biden, without providing any evidence, accused Hamas of raping women and added there were "stomach-turning reports of babies being killed."

"There are moments in this life — I mean this literally — when a pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world," he said in a hushed voice during a televised speech. "This is an act of sheer evil."

'No place for hate in America'

Biden also said US law enforcement agencies were taking steps to disrupt any domestic threat that may emerge after the fighting broke out.

The FBI said earlier it was "closely monitoring unfolding events" but added it "does not have specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas attacks in Israel."

Biden said police departments in the US had "stepped up security around centres of Jewish life."

"There is no place for hate in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody," Biden said.

Hamas calls Biden's comments 'inflammatory'

Hamas described Biden's comments as "inflammatory".

"These remarks are an attempt to cover up the crimes and terror of the Zionist government," Hamas, which governs besieged Gaza, said in a statement on its website.

Safe passage

Meanwhile, the US said it is talking to Israeli officials and others about the idea of a safe passage for Gaza civilians amid Israel's relentless air strikes.

"We are focused on this question, there are consultations going on," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in a White House press briefing.

Washington and some of its key Western allies have said Israel has the right to self-defence.

"We do not deliberately target civilians," Sullivan said of the US and Israel, when asked about civilian casualties in Gaza in the Tuesday press briefing.

The war of words between Palestine's Hamas and US came amid incessant Israeli attacks on blockaded Gaza that have killed 900 Palestinians, including 260 children and 200 women.

Israel has also cut water and electricity supplies to the besieged enclave, worsening the area's already dire humanitarian situation.

Home to nearly 2.3 million people, Gaza has already been reeling under a crippling Israeli siege since 2007.