Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited the southern Israeli city of Ofakim on Wednesday together with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
The two spoke with locals who were held for hours by Hamas terrorists during the group’s attack on Israel this past Saturday. Among the victims of the Hamas attack were also British citizens, including one dead and seven who are missing, among them children.
"The stories we heard from the parents of abducted soldier Ron Sherman and the story of heroism we heard at the home of Rachel and David Edri were painful and heartbreaking. Citizens who faced the danger of death here while murderous terrorists knocked on their doors with the goal of murdering as many people as possible, women, children, old people, without any distinction," said Minister Cohen.
He added, "I thank my good friend, Foreign Secretary Cleverly, for the visit of support and solidarity and for coming to the south in order to show the people of Israel, Britain and the entire world that Britain stands with the people of Israel and supports our right to protect our citizens against the Hamas terrorist organization. These visits of solidarity strengthen the international support for Israel and expose the visitors to the atrocities committed by the Hamas terrorists."
During the visit, sirens were sounded in Ofakim due to a rocket attack from Gaza, and Cleverly was seen running to shelter.
The Foreign Secretary commented on this in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Today I’ve seen a glimpse of what millions experience every day. The threat of Hamas rockets lingers over every Israeli man, woman and child. This is why we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Thursday on behalf of US President Joe Biden.