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Failing to protect them “plays into the hands of Hamas and other terrorist groups”
He said the breaks were an “important part” of getting the hostages out
Israel faces growing calls to limit bombing of Gaza
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a public appeal to protect Palestinian civilians during a visit to Israel on Friday and called for arrangements for “humanitarian pauses” amid the fighting in Gaza.
Blinken spoke in Tel Aviv after meeting with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and said he raised the issue of humanitarian pauses. He added that the two men discussed how to ensure that Hamas does not use such pauses “to its own advantage” and “how to connect the pause to the release of the hostages.”
His comments came as Israeli Defense Minister Gallant reportedly said Israel would not accept any pause that did not also include the release of the hostages.
“We must do more to protect Palestinian civilians,” Blinken said. He called it a right and lawful thing to do. “Failing to do so plays into the hands of Hamas and other terrorist groups,” Blinken said.
“We must do more to protect Palestinian civilians,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday during his trip to Israel.
He also called for speeding up the delivery of relief supplies to Gaza to help people who “desperately need” it, “through no fault of their own”. It comes as the Israeli military and its government face growing calls, including from Senate Democrats, for them to show restraint as they unleash devastating airstrikes on Gaza with the aim of , according to them, to eliminate Hamas’s power structure.
Blinken’s warning words came during a press event in which he also recalled the massacre of 1,400 Israelis after the Hamas terror attack.
“The brutality of the massacre faded so quickly from the memories of so many people. But not in Israel or America,” he said.
Blinken said that during his visit he was shown additional videos, from security cameras and even videos shot by Hamas attackers, depicting some of the brutality inflicted on Israeli civilians during the attack . During his first visit to Israel after the October 7 attack, Blinken had an emotional meeting with survivors of the attack as well as friends and family members of the victims.
Blinken met again with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu (R) in Tel Aviv
Blinken also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit
Blinken has repeatedly invoked the use of “humanitarian pauses” in efforts to bring back Americans and other Israeli and foreign nationals captured by Hamas.
“A humanitarian pause could help this effort,” he said.
“It’s a very important piece,” he said.
Blinken again defended Israel’s “right and even obligation” to defend itself. But he repeatedly stressed the “imperative” to “do everything possible to protect civilians.”
This follows two repeated strikes by the Israel Defense Forces on the Jabalya refugee camp.
It also calls for curbing Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
He said he heard a “clear commitment” to combating extremist behavior in the West Bank.
And Blinken reiterated President Biden’s warnings against anyone seeking to expand the conflict, amid fears that Hezbollah would open a second front with Israel amid repeated exchanges of rocket fire with Israeli forces.
“We are determined that no second or third front will open in this conflict,” Blinken said, mentioning that the United States had sent two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.
This came on the day that Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, issued his own remarks, fearing that Israel was facing a wider war.