Biden stands by claim climate change is greatest threat as Hamas unleashes terror across Israel

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John Kirby on White House lid after 9 Americans reportedly killed: Biden is working

White House coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby tells ‘The Story’ that they do not know how many hostages are missing in Israel and cannot ‘independently verify’ that Americans are among them.

The White House is standing by President Biden's statement earlier this year that climate change poses the largest threat to humanity, even as thousands of people have been killed or wounded after a radical Iran-backed terrorist group unleashed violence across Israel over the weekend.

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reaffirmed Monday that the president and his administration still believe climate change is the largest threat facing the U.S. and world since it is capable of "wiping out all human life." His comments came as thousands of people, including hundreds of innocent civilians, have been killed or injured during the conflict triggered over the weekend after a series of unprovoked attacks by the Hamas terrorist group.

"Absolutely he does," Kirby told Fox News when asked whether Biden stands by his comments on the risks posed by climate change. "Climate change is an existential threat. It actually threatens and is capable of wiping out all human life on earth over time."

"The president believes wholeheartedly that climate change is an existential threat to all of human life on the planet. That's just science," he continued. "But it doesn't mean that we turn our back on the other challenges facing this country and our allies and partners around the world."

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National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during a daily White House briefing in July. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden remarked in January that climate change poses the "single-most existential threat to humanity we’ve ever faced, including nuclear weapons," adding that it is a "real big problem." Months earlier, he said global warming is "literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world" and posed a clear and present danger to the entire world.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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Since taking office in early 2021, Biden has pursued an aggressive climate change agenda, pushing for a rapid transition to green energy while issuing regulations to curb the future use of fossil fuels which generate the vast majority of power across U.S. sectors.

Meanwhile, of those reported dead as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, at least 11 were confirmed to be American citizens.

President Biden speaks at the White House last month. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Overall, the escalating conflict has claimed the lives of at least 1,600 people, including at least 1,000 Israelis, according to the latest information.

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"We have only started striking Hamas," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address. "What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations."

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Earlier Tuesday, Israeli warplanes unleashed an aerial bombardment of downtown Gaza City, and the nation is considering sending its troops on the ground into Palestinian territories.

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"Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage," the governments of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Italy said in a statement Monday.

"Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region," they added.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.