A number of graduates carried out the silent protest, with some holding Palestinian flags and one holding up a fist as Biden spoke at Morehouse College, a historically Black university in Atlanta, Georgia.
Others wore keffiyeh scarves over their gowns in a sign of solidarity with the protests that have roiled campuses across the United States over Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip.
"I feel your pain!
"I support peaceful, non-violent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise you I hear them," said Biden, who wore a maroon and black gown in the colours of the all-male university.
The speech was Biden's most direct encounter with American students since the Gaza protests engulfed campuses nationwide, causing him political troubles with an election rematch against Donald Trump just over six months away.
"This is one of the hardest, most complicated problems in the world. There's nothing easy about it," added Biden about Gaza.
"I know it angers and frustrates many of you, including my family, but most of all, I know it breaks your heart. It breaks mine as well."
He did not elaborate, but First Lady Jill Biden reportedly urged the president in April to "stop it now" as the toll of Palestinian civilians mounted from Israel's offensive.
A number of Morehouse students had called for Biden's speech to be cancelled over the Gaza war but the ceremony went ahead without disruption.
Biden told the students that Gaza was enduring a "humanitarian crisis" and that he was working for an "immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting, bring the hostages home."
The 81-year-old Democrat added he was pushing for a "lasting, durable peace" in the wider Middle East that would lead to an independent Palestinian state, which he called the "only solution."
Biden had earlier applauded as Morehouse College's valedictorian, DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher, also called for an immediate ceasefire in his speech.
"It is important to recognize both sides have suffered heavy casualties since October 7," said Fletcher.
Morehouse president David Thomas -- who had earlier this week threatened to shut down the ceremony if it was disrupted -- told Biden after the speech that "you've been listening."
"You spoke to the hard issues confronting our nation and the world at this moment," said Thomas.
Sending more weapons to Israel!
Last week, the Biden administration told key lawmakers it would send more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides.
But it was not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered.
It's the first arms shipment to Israel to be revealed since the administration put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold this month. The Biden administration, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza, has said it paused that bomb transfer to keep Israel from using those particular munitions in its offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The package disclosed Tuesday includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the congressional aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public.
There was no immediate indication of when the arms would be sent. Two congressional aides said the shipment is not part of the long-delayed foreign aid package that Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed last month. It wasn’t known if the shipment was the latest tranche from an existing arms sale or something new.
The Biden administration has come under criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for Israel's now seven-month-old war in Gaza — at a time when Biden is battling for reelection against former President Donald Trump.
Some of Biden's fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Protests on college campuses around the U.S. have driven home the message this spring.
African-American support in jeopardy
The speech at the alma mater of slain rights hero King was part of a series of Biden events this week aimed at winning over Black voters, amid polls showing that their support for him is flagging.
Biden did not specifically mention his rival Trump but leaned heavily into themes of democracy and racism that he has previously invoked while talking about the twice-impeached Republican former president.
"This is what we're up against -- extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse," said Biden.
His outreach efforts to Black voters and Gaza protesters were two sides of the same coin as Biden tries to shore up support among the coalition that helped him beat Trump in 2020.
Later Sunday Biden traveled to Detroit in the key swing state of Michigan where he visited a cafe owned by two former NBA players, brothers Joe and Jordan Crawford, before attending a major civil rights group gathering.
Addressing thousands of people at the NAACP event, Biden said strong support from African-American voters in the close 2020 election meant they are "the only reason I'm standing here as the president."
"And you're the reason Donald Trump's going to be a loser again," he said.
Biden touted his choice of the nation's first Black vice president, Kamala Harris, the record number of Black judge appointments under his presidency, and his appointment of the Supreme Court's first Black female justice.
"The threat that Trump poses in his second term is greater than in his first," Biden warned. "He's running for revenge."
A New York Times/Siena poll last week showed that, in addition to trailing Trump in several key battleground states, Biden has been losing ground with African Americans.
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