James Cleverly forced to run for cover as siren warns of Hamas rocket fire

James Cleverly was forced to run for cover during his visit to Ofakim, southern Israel, after a siren went off warning of incoming Hamas rockets.

A video posted on social media showed the Foreign Secretary running for cover with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen and their teams.

The Foreign Secretary had travelled to Israel to express the UK’s “solidarity” in the wake of the Hamas attacks, as the King condemned the “barbaric acts of terrorism”.

READ MORE: Israel PM shares picture of blood-soaked child’s bed following Hamas killings

The arrival of James Cleverly in Israel comes as the world reels from the surprise incursion by the Palestinian militant group, which has provoked a major retaliation from Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.

Both the UK and the US have been among the major states offering firm backing to Israel but concerns have been expressed in the UN and elsewhere about the impact on civilians as air strikes continue to hit Gaza.

The conflict has already claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides, with fears it could escalate further.

The UK Government has made clear that Israel has the right to defend itself in the wake of the assault by Hamas amid an ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that Mr Cleverly is in Israel to “demonstrate the UK’s unwavering solidarity with the Israeli people following Hamas’s terrorist attacks”.

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