Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and his staff safely departed Israel on Sunday, a day after being forced to shelter in place as Hamas launched a barrage of thousands of rockets in a deadly surprise attack on Israel, a spokesperson for the senator said.
‘Senator Booker and accompanying staff were in Jerusalem when Hamas launched their attacks against Israel on Saturday, and sheltered in place for their safety,’ Maya Krishna-Rogers, a spokesperson for Booker, said in a statement. ‘We are grateful that Senator Booker and our colleagues were able to safely depart Israel earlier today.’
Booker arrived in Israel on Friday for several days of planned meetings and to visit sites ahead of an Abraham Accords-focused N7 summit on regional economic integration in Tel Aviv, the statement said.
Booker was scheduled to speak at the event on Tuesday.
Booker also released a statement condemning Hamas’ attack, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 600 Israelis and injured at least 2,000 more. Israeli forces are currently engaged in hostage rescue operations, and military officials have said they plan to ‘kill every terrorist in Israel.’
‘I emphatically condemn Hamas’ horrific acts of violence, kidnapping and terror targeting Israeli families, children and other civilians in towns and cities across the nation of Israel. I stand with the people of Israel and the families of those who have lost loved ones,’ Booker said in a statement.
Booker serves as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.