US senators forced to run to Tel Aviv bomb shelter during solidarity visit

Republican and Democratic lawmakers shown evidence of Hamas murdering, raping, and decapitating Israelis.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

A delegation of American senators were forced to seek shelter Sunday, during a solidarity mission to Israel.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers visited Tel Aviv to meet with senior Israeli leaders when warning sirens were sounded after the IDF monitored a barrage of rockets launched toward central Israel.

The Senate delegation was forced to interrupt its meetings and rush to a bomb shelter.

“While in Tel Aviv today, our delegation was rushed to a shelter to wait out rockets sent by Hamas,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer later tweeted.

“It shows you what Israelis have to go through. We must provide Israel with the support required to defend itself.”

The delegation included Republicans Mitt Romney (Utah) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), along with Democrats Schumer (New York), Jacky Rosen (Nevada) and Mark Kelly (Arizona).

The senators met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at IDF headquarters in the Kirya in Tel Aviv, during which the lawmakers condemned Hamas atrocities in southern Israel and expressed their solidarity with Israel.

Later, the Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hosted and briefed the delegation on the Hamas attacks and Israel’s ongoing response.

“We must maintain a critical combination that includes Israel’s military power and our determination to destroy the enemy, together with ongoing U.S. support and partnership,” said Gallant.

Gallant offered details regarding the horrific attacks conducted by Hamas terrorists exactly one week ago – the greatest human loss for the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust.

During the meeting, the senators were shown a video of some of the atrocities conducted against Israeli civilians and troops including murder, decapitation, rape and abduction.

Head of the International Cooperation Division of the IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin briefed the senators on developments in the war and Israeli military operations.

Gallant also addressed the senators’ questions regarding humanitarian steps taken by Israel issues and Israeli efforts to evacuate the Gazan civilian population from centers of war.

The minister presented the senators with images showing Hamas actively preventing civilians from evacuating military targets and hotspots of terror infrastructure, in order to increase human casualties and use the Gazans as human shields.

Chuck SchumerIsaac HerzogMitt RomneySenateUS Senate