White House slammed for hosting BBQ with live band as war rages in Israel

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President Biden is coming under fire for hosting a barbecue at the White House Sunday afternoon while war rages in Israel and terrorists allegedly hold Americans hostage. 

"While Hamas holds Americans hostage, Joe Biden is enjoying a picnic with a live band," Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted, accompanied by a screen shoot of a White House Pool report. 

The pool report, emailed just after 6 p.m. Sunday evening, notes that a reporter could hear a "live band" in the White House. 

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: Sen. Josh Hawley. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"In the late afternoon and early evening, a live band could be heard coming from the area near the Rose Garden. Your pooler asked why a band was playing. From the White House: The President and First Lady are hosting a BBQ for White House Executive Residence Staff and their families," the pool reporter wrote. 

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A handful of other conservatives joined Hawley in criticizing the White House for the event on social media. 

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President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden exit Marine One at Charleston Executive Airport in South Carolina on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The BBQ comes after the Israeli government officially declared war on Sunday, the first time the nation has made such a declaration since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, after terrorist organization Hamas launched surprise attacks on the nation. 

October 8, 2023. Israeli air attacks on Gaza continue. Flames and smoke rose from the area as a result of the attack on the Gaza. (Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

At least 700 people in Israel have died since the attacks began on Saturday morning, and at least another 2,000 people have been injured. 

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Smoke rises after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The rockets were fired as Hamas announced a new operation against Israel. (AP)

Hamas has reportedly taken a large amount of hostages amid the attacks, including women and children, while U.S. officials are working to confirm if American citizens have been taken hostage or killed. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House Sunday evening for additional comment on the barbecue.