On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on a Middle East mission to prevent a larger war from erupting following an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas terrorists and an Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli officials, including PM Benjamin Netanyahu, to demonstrate solidarity with Washington’s closest Middle East ally and discuss increasing military support.
The United States is working to ensure Israel has everything it needs to defend itself and its people. pic.twitter.com/HxjfyxDXgP
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 12, 2023
Blinken’s Visit to Israel
Blinken told reporters before departing, “I’m going with a very simple and clear message on behalf of the President of the United States and on behalf of the American people, and that is that the United States has Israel’s back.”
The US is determined to ensure that Israel has all it needs to defend itself and provide for its people’s security, Blinken stated, adding that the significant military assistance wanted by Israel is already on its way.
Blinken continued that he will be reiterating and reaffirming US President Joe Biden’s strong warning to “any country or party that seeks to take advantage of the situation. And the message is clear: don’t.”
According to Blinken, at least 22 Americans have been killed in the conflict thus far. “That number could still go up, and it probably will,” he said, adding that US authorities were collaborating with Israeli counterparts to investigate the fate of additional US nationals who remained unaccounted for.
Commenting on safe passage for civilians through Gaza into Egypt, Blinken said, “we are talking about that, and we’re talking to Israel about that. We’re talking to Egypt about that. It’s an ongoing conversation; I can’t get into the details.”
Reports indicate that Blinken has spoken with his counterparts from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE since Saturday. As per US sources, Washington is urging regional countries with influence over Hamas and other anti-Israel groups to help prevent the situation from intensifying.
UK Foreign Minister in Israel
Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly has also travelled to Israel on Wednesday to show solidarity with the Israeli people in the aftermath of the Hamas attack, the British foreign office said.
A foreign office spokesperson stated, “The Foreign Secretary has arrived in Israel today to demonstrate the UK’s unwavering solidarity with the Israeli people following Hamas’ terrorist attacks.”
“He will be meeting survivors of the attacks and senior Israeli leaders to outline UK support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
In the meantime, it was reported that Cleverly sought cover as a siren sounded during his visit to Israel on Wednesday, based on a video recording uploaded on social media by the Israeli foreign ministry. According to the government, the siren warned of incoming Hamas missile fire.
Cleverly said in a post on social media, “Today I’ve seen a glimpse of what millions experience every day. The threat of Hamas rockets lingers over every Israeli man, woman and child.” “This is why we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel,” he remarked.