A cross-party delegation of U.S. legislators holds talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu during their visit to Israel.

 A cross-party delegation of U.S. legislators holds talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu during their visit to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem last month, held a meeting with four U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday.

A quartet of U.S. lawmakers, seeking to express their unwavering support in the wake of Hamas's surprising attacks over the weekend, engaged in meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government officials during their visit to Israel.

Representative Jimmy Panetta, a Democrat from California, emphasized their united stance, declaring, "We stand shoulder to shoulder so that we can go toe to toe with any terrorist going forward. 

It is from our solidarity that we have our strength." He conveyed this during a news conference held in Israel. This bipartisan delegation of lawmakers, consisting of three representatives and a senator, arrived in Israel after making earlier stops in various Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. 

Their visit was organized to bolster and expand recent agreements aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab countries. While in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, they also held meetings with the opposition leader, Yair Lapid, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who formerly served as Israel's ambassador to the United States. 

Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and the leader of the delegation, shared their activities on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. She mentioned that the group met with families affected by the weekend attacks and engaged with American citizens in Israel. Representatives Donald Norcross of New Jersey and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, both Democrats, were also part of this delegation's visit to Israel. 

Ms. Wasserman Schultz highlighted their visit as a demonstration of solidarity and support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, emphasizing their commitment to taking tangible actions, not just offering words of support. 

During an interview on CNN, Ms. Wasserman Schultz mentioned that the delegation had been in Saudi Arabia when Hamas fighters first breached the barriers around the Gaza Strip, attacked nearby Israeli communities, and took numerous hostages. 

Saudi officials reportedly conveyed that these events had not deterred them from pursuing the normalization of relations with Israel. The United States has been actively pursuing negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with matters such as uranium enrichment, weapons sales, and Palestinian territorial rights playing pivotal roles. However, after Hamas's recent assault, Mr. Netanyahu's government is now less likely to meet the demands set by the United States and the senators regarding guarantees for Palestinians. 

Following Hamas's initial attacks, Israeli leaders initiated a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, severely limiting the supply of food, fuel, water, and electricity to the two million Palestinian inhabitants. Additionally, they called for a mass mobilization of reservists in anticipation of a retaliatory offensive.