US Secretary of State in Tel Aviv: We will continue our solidarity with Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog as part of his visit to Israel’s capital, Tel Aviv.

According to the written statement made by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Blinken, who first met with Netanyahu privately, then met with Israel’s “War Cabinet.” At the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly showed Blinken videos about Hamas attacks.

Blinken and Herzog also made statements to reporters before their meeting. Herzog claimed that Israel complied with international and humanitarian law in its attacks on Gaza, saying: “We distributed the leaflets you see in my hand to the people of Gaza. We sent 6 million text messages and made 4 million phone calls. In accordance with the norms of international law, we informed the people of Gaza in advance (about our attacks). “We also did this in the Cibaliya camp,” he said.

Herzog said they carried out their attacks on Gaza within the framework of their rights of “self-defense” and claimed they did everything possible to protect civilians.

Blinken also said: “These are difficult days, we are here as always and we will continue our solidarity with Israel. Our position remains that Israel has not only the right but also the obligation to defend itself. “Israel has the right to do everything possible to prevent October 7 from happening again,” he said.

Emphasizing that the protection of civilians is also important in Israel’s actions, Blinken stated that they remain determined to fight Hamas. Blinken affirmed that they will continue to work determinedly to release prisoners held by Hamas. (AA)