Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a news conference as he visits Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Thursday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv in a show of support for Israel, its devastating military operations in Gaza and its goal of destroying the militant Hamas organization.

"Hamas has only one agenda, to destroy Israel and to murder Jews," Blinken said. "No country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens or return to the conditions that allowed it to take place."

The war has already claimed over 2,500 lives on both sides. International aid groups warn that the death toll may rise as Israel stopped all deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity to Gaza.