Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Wednesday urged Israel to prioritize civilians in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, but stopped short of calling for military action in the crowded Palestinian city. Any "military operation that Israel undertakes must have civilians first and foremost in mind," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
He has also warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government against actions and rhetoric that raise tensions. "In my discussion with the Prime Minister and senior officials today, I also expressed our deep concern about actions and rhetoric, including by government officials, that are fueling tensions that undermine international support and place greater constraints on Israel's security," he said. Blinken to reporters.
He also told Netanyahu that for the rest of his life he would "think about the thousands of children killed in Gaza," Channel 13 reported. Blinken made the comments during a discussion about the civilian casualties of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.
Stating that he was "shocked by October 7" and "committed to preventing something like this from happening again," Blinken continued that the reality of the matter was, however, that "entire families that are not connected to Hamas have suffered." against the backdrop of war. Netanyahu reportedly told him that the blame for the civilian casualties lay with Hamas because it "acts using the civilian population."
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said more than 27,500 people, most of them civilians, had been killed in the enclave since the war began. However, these figures cannot be independently verified and are believed to include both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a result of the terrorist groups' own missile failures. /BGNES