U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday pledged ” ironclad U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’ terrorist attacks” as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo courtesy Antony Blinken/X
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Thursday to meet with leaders as the conflict in the region raged on.
Blinken shared a photo of him shaking hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he pledged U.S. support. Advertisement
“I met with Netanyahu in Israel today to reiterate ironclad U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’ terrorist attacks,” Blinken wrote on social media.
Upon touching down at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Blinken also said that the United States “stands with Israel and its people, and we will always stand — resolutely — against terrorism.”
He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and other senior Israeli officials. As he left Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, he told reporters that the Biden administration was “determined” to ensure Israel has what it needs in way of weaponry to defend itself.
“We anticipate there’ll be further needs, further requests,” he said.
He is also scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, a senior Palestinian Authority official announced. Advertisement
The visit came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden told Jewish community leaders he had “not given up hope” on returning Americans taken hostage in Gaza to the United States.
The White House on Wednesday confirmed that 22 Americans had been killed in the conflict, while 17 remained unaccounted for.
Earlier in the week, Biden reiterated U.S. support for Israel and condemned the attack by Hamas as a “violation of every code of human morality.”
