"U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Thursday to express support following the Hamas terrorist attack," as reported by The Times of Israel.
Blinken was met by several officials at the airport, including Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. The Secretary of State did not make any statements to the present journalists.
In Israel, Blinken is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and other high-ranking officials. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller noted that Blinken arrived in the country to "directly engage with our partners on the ground to discuss the situation and the U.S. support in response to Hamas' brutal terrorist attacks.
Before boarding the plane at Andrews Air Force Base, Blinken stated that he was heading to Israel with a "very simple and clear message on behalf of the President of the United States and the American people, which is that the United States supports Israel."
"We stand with the people of Israel. We have their back today. We have their back tomorrow. We have their back every day," emphasized the Secretary of State.
He reiterated that the United States is committed to providing Israel with the means to defend itself, equating the level of Hamas' brutality to that of the terrorist group ISIS.
Blinken also stated that the United States will continue to work to prevent new actors from joining the fight against Israel.
