Blinken to travel to Israel in display of US solidarity after Hamas attack

Oct 11, 2023 - 10:30

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Blinken to travel to Israel in display of US solidarity after Hamas attack

President Joe Biden is dispatching his top diplomat to Israel on an urgent mission to show US support after major terrorist attacks by Hamas militants, the State Department said on Tuesday.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel in the coming days to deliver a message of solidarity and support. He said Blinken will also “talk about what additional resources we can give them.”

Tomorrow, I will leave for Israel to engage with our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground and to discuss ways we can continue to support them in the fight against these terrorist attacks. Our support for Israel remains unwavering.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 10, 2023

Blinken will leave Wednesday and is expected to arrive Thursday.

The war between Israel and Hamas has claimed the lives of 1,200 people. According to an update by the Israel Defence Force, more than 1,000 Israelis have been killed in the conflict while 2,800 remain injured.

#WaronHamas—4 days in. pic.twitter.com/evOgdRvMuo
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 10, 2023

‘Sheer evil’

President Biden, in an emotional speech on Tuesday, condemned the attacks by Hamas as “sheer evil” and said Washington is ready to deploy more military assets to the region.

“There are moments in this life — I mean this literally — when a pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world,” he said in a hushed voice during a televised speech. “This is an act of sheer evil.”

Biden also confirmed that over 14 Americans have been killed in the attacks and that a number of others have been taken hostage by Hamas.

With inputs from agencies

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