LONDON (Reuters) -British foreign minister James Cleverly was seen taking shelter as a siren went off during his visit to Israel on Wednesday, in a video clip posted on social media platform X by the Israeli foreign ministry.

Cleverly, who is visiting Israel to show solidarity following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, could be seen running into a building in Ofakim in southern Israel.

A siren, which the ministry said warned of incoming Hamas rocket fire, rang out in the background.

Britain's Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the video.

"I'm here in Israel today to show that the UK’s support for the Israeli people is unwavering," Cleverly wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, before the video was published.

Earlier on Wednesday, a British Foreign Office spokesperson said Cleverly would be meeting survivors of the attacks and senior Israeli leaders to outline UK support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Britain, along with its Western allies, has expressed steadfast support for Israel and condemned the attacks by Hamas.

Israel formed an emergency unity government on Wednesday as it pounded the densely populated Palestinian enclave of Gaza to root out Hamas.

Earlier the BBC reported seventeen British nationals, including children, were dead or missing in Israel.

(Reporting by William James, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)