Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation on the ground

Biden spoke out of the actions he and other allies have taken to support Israel in the aftermath of the attack and expressed his horror about "sickening" reports of torture inflicted by militants on innocent civilians

"Our hearts may be broken but our resolve is clear," Biden said. He added, "Let there be no doubt. The United States has Israel's back. We'll make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today, tomorrow as we always have"

Biden, in his public remarks and statements since Hamas launched its attacks, has repeatedly emphasised his shock over the breadth and brutality of the Hamas assault a blitz by land, sea and air that surprised Israeli and US intelligence and that has killed hundreds Israelis and left even more wounded

Retaliatory strikes by Israel on the Gaza Strip have also left hundreds of dead and wounded Palestinians in the blockaded 141-square mile area, one the poorest places in the world. The death toll was expected to grow as Israel pummelled Gaza with airstrikes and sent tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing into UN shelters