US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel to meet with top officials amid war

TEL AVIV, Israel — United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv meeting with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

His trip comes as the Israel Defense Forces prepare for possible next stages in this war. Blinken says he is going into this with the simple message that the United States has Israel’s back.

“My commitment to Israel security and the safety of Jewish people is unshakable. The United States has Israel’s back and we’re going to be working on this all day and beyond,” President Biden said earlier this week.

The secretary is also expected to head to Jordan on Friday to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian authority, and King Abdullah the second of Jordan.

New IDF video shows air strikes shattering structures across Gaza, buildings the army says are connected to terrorists.

They are also striking what they categorize as a terrorist target at sea.

ALSO READ | Upper East Side resident returns to Israel for IDF active duty as war continues

Meantime, civilians in Gaza are struggling. An Israeli-imposed siege is blocking food and fuel into the Hamas-led territory.

Hospitals are at full capacity and families across the region are facing uncertainty.

“There is nothing that we can do. Even the place that I am in right now is almost out of water, almost out of food,” Afaf Najar, who is sheltering in Gaza, said.

The U.S. has made it clear that it will make sure Israel gets what it needs to defend itself.

“We stand resolutely against terrorism. We’ve seen the almost indescribable acts committed by Hamas against Israeli men, women and children. Every day we’re learning more and it is simply heartbreaking,” Blinken said.

A big part of the discussion between Israel leaders and Blinken will be the Americans in Israel who remain unaccounted for and working to release those being held hostage by Hamas.