From the Liveblog of
Friday, November 3, 2023
Blinken meets Herzog, says Israel has right and obligation to defend itself
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv and reiterates that Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself, as it continues to pummel the Gaza Strip with an air and ground assault targeting the Hamas terror group.
“Israel has not only the right but the obligation to defend itself… to make sure that this October 7 never happens again,” Blinken tells journalists, referring to last month’s unprecedented terror onslaught that killed some 1,400 people.
Blinken alongside Herzog in Tel Aviv, repeats that Israel has "not only the right but the obligation" to defend itself, stresses that "civilians caught in the crossfire of Hamas's making" must be protected and provided with assistance. pic.twitter.com/Vf1GIDtgJ5
— Amy Spiro (@AmySpiro) November 3, 2023
Herzog speaks about Israel’s efforts to protect civilians in Gaza by warning them to evacuate areas where active combat is taking place, saying the Jewish state has sent “six million voice messages, and four million text messages, and 1.2 million pamphlets, and phone calls in addition to all of that.
“This speaks for itself as we protect the civilians moving out to a safe zone, giving them the right and necessary humanitarian aid and enabling us to defend ourselves,” Herzog says.
