Senator Cory Booker, who found himself in Israel during the recent Hamas incursion, has shared a harrowing account of his escape as violence erupted in the country over the weekend. Alongside another member of the US Congress, Booker was stranded in Israel but managed to leave unscathed, according to their office.
Booker, originally in Israel for planned meetings, site visits, and an economic summit, was in Jerusalem when the attacks began. The senator and his accompanying staff had to take shelter for their safety, as conveyed by his spokesperson. Fortunately, he safely departed Israel on Sunday.
Taking to social media, Booker recounted the moment he discovered that Israel was “under attack.” Booker revealed that he was jogging in Jerusalem’s Old City when he received an “urgent call from my chief of staff instructing me to return to the hotel quickly – that Israel was under attack, with thousands of rockets being launched.”
Upon returning to the hotel, Booker, along with others, sought refuge in the bomb shelter or stairwells. He described a scene of fear and concern, particularly among children, the elderly, and American families.
I was in Israel when the horrific attacks carried out by Hamas started on Saturday. My team and I are now safe, but like many we are shaken, angered, and heartbroken by the hundreds killed, the thousands injured, those taken hostage, and all who are directly affected by these… pic.twitter.com/E4BgEZxSTC
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) October 8, 2023
Another Democrat leader, Daniel Goldman, along with his wife and three youngest children, was also in Israel for a Bar Mitzvah during the missile attacks. Their spokesperson stated that the Goldman family took shelter in their hotel’s interior stairwell until early Sunday morning when they safely departed for New York with assistance from the State Department and Israeli authorities.
The Israeli government officially declared war on Sunday, approving “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack. The toll on both sides surpassed 1,100 dead and thousands wounded, with over 123,000 people displaced in the Gaza Strip, according to the UN on Monday.
As of 40 hours after the unprecedented incursion, Israeli forces were still engaged in battles with militants in various locations. The death toll in Israel, a scale not experienced in decades, was reported at least 700, while more than 400 people lost their lives in Gaza.
