The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, during his visit to Europe last week, wanted to fly to Israel together with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken as a sign of solidarity. In Israel, Zelensky was told that "the time is not right."
This was reported by the Israeli publication "Ynet" with reference to sources.
The media assume that Zelensky may come to Israel during another trip to Europe.
On October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, Zelensky stated that Israel has every right to protect itself from terror, like any other state, and there is "no support for terrorists." On October 11, during a conversation with journalists, Zelensky called on all leaders to visit Israel and show their support to the people.
- On October 7, Hamas forces invaded the territory of Israel. In response, Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip. At least 1 400 people have died on the Israeli side, and almost 2 700 on the Palestinian side. The number of dead Ukrainians in Israel has increased to 12, and 8 more are considered missing. The UN declared numerous violations of human rights on both sides.
- In the evening of October 13, the first units of Israeli infantry and tanks entered the Gaza Strip. They will clear the area and look for hostages as part of a "local raid". The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has not yet entered Gaza. The New York Times, citing sources in the IDF, reported that the ground operation in the Gaza Strip was postponed for several days, in particular, due to unfavorable weather.