As he leaves for Israel, Antony Blinken declares, “The US has Israel’s back.”
On Wednesday (local time), Antony Blinken left for Israel as a show of Washington’s solidarity with Tel Aviv following the Hamas attack.
Hamas attack, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for Israel on Wednesday (local time). Blinken reiterated his support for Israel and stated that he is traveling with the message that the “US has Israel’s back.”
“We are heading, as you know, to Israel, and 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,” Blinken told reporters prior to his departure. The people of Israel support us. Today, we have their back. It will be here tomorrow. It will be served to us daily.
Blinken announced that he would be meeting with prominent leaders in Israel, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He expressed his excitement about getting to know the US embassy staff in Israel. According to Blinken, the US is committed to giving Israel all it needs to defend itself.
He continued, “We’re determined to make sure Israel receives all it needs to protect its citizens and defend itself. Significant military support that Israel has sought is already on its way. That is in addition to everything that we have been doing for years to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, including working with President Obama to negotiate a memorandum of understanding. Blinken responded that the US is aware that Israel will take all necessary safeguards when asked if the US had recommended any level of moderation with regard to potential ground actions in Gaza.
“I won’t go into any operational specifics about what Israel might or might not do. I believe the President addressed this yesterday in his incredibly passionate and strong remarks. Of course, our regard for international law and, when applicable, the laws of war is what sets Israel apart from the US and other democracies in extraordinarily challenging circumstances such as these.
“We make every effort to prevent innocent casualties in these circumstances. That stands in stark contrast to Hamas’ practice of using human shields. In actuality, it aims to place Palestinian citizens in perilous circumstances. This is a major component of their strategy. Therefore, we are confident that Israel would take all reasonable precautions, just as we would. And once more, that’s what sets us apart from terrorist organizations like Hamas and those that partake in the most terrible acts.
Blinken met with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer on Wednesday and expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the terror strikes carried out by Hamas. He reaffirmed American support for Israel’s right to self-defense against terrorism and for the defense of its population.
Posting on X, Blinken said, “We would like to express our sincere condolences for the terrorist incident on Israel. I spoke with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs @AmbDermer. I reaffirmed our backing for Israel’s legitimate right to protect its people and itself from acts of terrorism. Based on the most recent information, Israel’s nighttime airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in 51 Palestinian deaths and 281 injuries, according to the Gaza health ministry, as reported by The Times of Israel.
In reaction to Hamas’s onslaught on Saturday that claimed the lives of over 1,200 Israelis, Israel began a counteroffensive with the goal of annihilating the terrorist organization.
According to the Israeli Air Force, the Israeli Defense Forces are currently carrying out a wide-ranging assault on numerous Hamas locations throughout the Gaza Strip.
“The IDF is now launching an extensive attack on many centers of the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. More details below,” the Israeli Air Force wrote in a post on X.
