Washington/IBNS/UNI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed on Thursday that the United States will always be by Israel’s side as he arrived in Tel Aviv in a show of support amid the escalating war with Hamas.

"The message that I bring to Israel is this: You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself but as long as America exists, you will never ever have to, we will always be there by your side," Blinken said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

Israel has "the right, indeed an obligation to defend itself and to ensure that this will never happen again," the secretary reiterated.

The US is supplying ammunition and interceptors to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome, alongside other defense materials. The first shipments of US military support have already arrived in Israel, and more is on the way, Blinken said.

The US also continues to work closely with Israel to secure the release of people taken hostage by Hamas, he stressed.

The US is pursuing intensive diplomacy throughout the region to prevent the conflict from spreading, Blinken said.