To show his solidarity with the Jewish state as it battles Hamas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel on Thursday and met immediately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu and Blinken are set to give a statement at 1:30 p.m. local time that can be watched live below.
“We’re here and we are not going anywhere,” Blinken said as he shook Netanyahu’s hand and placed a comforting arm on his shoulder.
“Good to see you,” he said, adding “Sorry that is under these circumstances.”
Blinken: US stands with Israel and against terror
Upon landing, he tweeted, “I’m in Israel today to make one thing clear: The United States stands with Israel and its people, and we will always stand — resolutely — against terrorism.”
The United States lost at least 22 citizens since Hamas launched a war on Israel on Saturday morning, killing over 1,200 people — civilians and soldiers — in an assault against southern border communities. Americans are also expected to be among the Hamas 100 captives the terror group brought into Gaza.
Israeli retaliatory aerial strikes have killed 1,100 people and wounded 5,339 since Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. Some 535 residential buildings had been destroyed leaving around 250,000 homeless, Hamas officials said. Most of the displaced were in UN-designated shelters, others huddling in shattered streets.
The US moved swiftly from the start to help Israel. US President Joe Biden called the Hamas attack an ISIS-like atrocity upon hearing that civilians were burned alive and explaining that it was the worst tragedy the Jewish people had endured since the Holocaust.
Biden’s administration has worked to prevent a multi-front war from breaking out, warning Iran in particular that it has Israel’s back.
The US has transferred ammunition and Iron Dome interceptors to Israel and plans to augment its regional air power. It has placed a carrier fleet in the eastern Mediterranean and a second one is on its way.
But concern is growing in Washington and the West over Israel’s decision to cut off its supply of electricity and water to Gaza as well as to stop the flow of fuel and food into Gaza.
The United States has also spoken with Egypt about creating a humanitarian corridor through the Rafa crossing that would allow Palestinian civilians in Gaza to flee the bombings.
Both Blinken and Biden has urged Israel to abide by international laws of war.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. President Isaac Herzog on Thursday morning said, “Humanity has to decide are we fighting terror or accommodating terror. There can be no mercy for terrorists.”
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