To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
The UK’s foreign secretary has been forced to run for cover during a visit to southern Israel.
A video showed James Cleverly and a group running into a building as air sirens blared in Ofakim.
Follow our live blog for latest updates on the Israel-Hamas war
The feared attack comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to form an emergency government with the opposition party.
It is hard to spot the foreign secretary in the footage but you can see Mr Cleverly wearing red socks as he runs towards the entrance.
He arrived in Israel this morning as part of a trip to ‘demonstrate the UK’s unwavering solidarity’ with the country, a foreign office spokesman said earlier today.
He could be spotted by his red socks ducking for cover
Mr Cleverly could be seen trying to run for cover after sirens sounded as part of his visit
Both the UK and the US have been among the major states offering firm backing to Israel but concerns have been expressed in the UN and elsewhere about the impact on civilians as air strikes continue to hit Gaza.
The conflict has already claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides, with fears it could escalate further.
The UK Government has made clear that Israel has the right to defend itself in the wake of the assault by Hamas amid an ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.
A Foreign Office spokesman said that Mr Cleverly is in Israel to ‘demonstrate the UK’s unwavering solidarity with the Israeli people following Hamas’s terrorist attacks’.
While there, he is expected to meet survivors of the attacks as well as senior Israeli figures.
His arrival in the country has sparked calls for the Foreign Secretary to express a ‘clear humanitarian position’ on the fate of civilians in Gaza.
More: Trending
The Israeli government has stopped the passage of food, water, fuel and medicine into the territory, with the sole remaining access from Egypt shut down on Tuesday after air strikes near the border crossing.
The territory’s only power plant ran out of fuel on Wednesday.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said: ‘It’s entirely right that James Cleverly is offering his support to Israeli civilians who’ve suffered in these completely appalling attacks.
‘The horrific and completely unjustifiable human rights violations against Israeli civilians by Hamas – including war crimes – must end, and those responsible must be held to account.
‘Mr Cleverly should be urging all parties to the conflict, including the Israeli authorities, to respect international humanitarian law.’
Concerns remain for the safety of British citizens in the region, as the BBC reported that 17 UK nationals are either dead or missing, including children.
A previous estimate had put the figure at more than 10.
The UK Government has not so far confirmed any figures for those believed dead or missing, pointing to the fast-moving situation in the region.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.