Before meeting Abbas
Blinken complains that the number of victims in Gaza is “far too high”
January 10, 2024, 12:34 p.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
The US Secretary of State is currently traveling through the Middle East. After a conversation with members of the Israeli government, he criticized the number of civilian victims of the war and made a demand against Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has lamented the high number of civilian casualties caused by the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to better protect the population in the Palestinian territory. The number of victims is “far too high,” Blinken said on Tuesday after talks with Israeli government officials in Tel Aviv.
According to the US State Department, Blinken reiterated US support for Israel’s right to prevent another attack by the terrorist organization Hamas in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Then the US Secretary of State “emphasized the importance of preventing further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
At a press conference later, Blinken said it was “incredibly difficult for Israel to face an enemy who is hiding among the civilian population, barricading themselves in schools and hospitals to shoot.” At the same time, however, he emphasized: “The price that civilians in Gaza, especially the children, pay every day is far too high.” More food, water and medicine also need to be brought to the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Authority must “reform”
Blinken is currently trying to de-escalate the situation during his trip to the Middle East. On Monday he visited Saudi Arabia and discussed, among other things, Riyadh’s rapprochement with Israel with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He also wants to meet with Palestinian President Abbas.
The US says a revamped Palestinian Authority could take over administration of the Gaza Strip after the fighting ends. But the autonomous authority must “reform itself and improve its governance,” said Blinken. At the same time, Israel must “stop taking steps that undermine the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively.”
Palestinian President Abbas is also expected to attend consultations in Jordan. Jordan’s King Abdullah II invited him to a joint meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The aim is to “coordinate Arab positions to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid,” said the Royal Palace in Amman.