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Sunday, April 28, 2024
Blinken to tour Be’eri in highest-ranking visit by US official to iconic locale
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US State Secretary Anthony Blinken is reportedly scheduled to tour Be’eri on Wednesday, in what would make him the highest-ranking official to visit from his administration since Hamas terrorists attacked the kibbutz during their October 7 onslaught.
Ynet reports that Blinken will visit Be’eri, where dozens of kibbutz members were murdered and abducted, after a visit to Saudi Arabia. According to Ynet, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is scheduled to join Blinken as per his office’s request. Foreign Minister Israel Katz will also tour Be’eri alongside Blinken and Gallant, Ynet reports.
The US is reportedly working with Israel to prevent the International Criminal Court, a UN tribunal in The Hague, from issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in connection with Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza. US officials are also involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatari and Egyptian mediation, on a deal for a temporary ceasefire and the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas.
Be’eri, a symbol of the October 7 onslaught, is among the worst-hit locales invaded by Hamas terrorists. It remains largely uninhabited as the government restores its structures, and its 900-odd members are staying at government-afforded accommodations until they can move into temporary homes in Kibbutz Hatzerim.
The government expects to repopulate Be’eri only sometime next year.
The Times of Israel Community.