The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, expressed to the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, the “strong commitment” of the United States to the security of Israel, but made clear his opposition to a ground military operation in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
During a call from Blinken to Gallant this Sunday, both politicians addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, “the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages” and the shared goal of defeating Hamas, the State Department said in a statement. release.
However, the US Secretary of State reaffirmed the “United States’ opposition to a major ground military operation” in the southern Rafah area, where more than a million people have taken refuge.
Blinken stressed the urgent need to “protect civilians and humanitarian workers” in Gaza, and urged Gallant to “ensure” that humanitarian assistance can reach Gaza for effective distribution, while Israel fights Hamas.
When the deaths in Gaza have already exceeded 35,000, the situation in the southern city of Rafah, converted into the last refuge for Gazans, is increasingly critical after this weekend the Army imposed new forced displacements for a population that has nowhere to go.
US sees no plan to protect civilians in Gaza
The US Secretary of State also said earlier that Israel does not have a “credible plan” for the protection of civilians in the Gazan city of Rafah but continues to supply it with weapons except for high-explosive bombs, which are on “pause.” ”.
Blinken spoke on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ and said the White House has expressed concerns to Israel for “months” about a large operation in the Rafah area, where there are 1.4 million people displaced by the war. , and assured that the US will not support it if it does not see those plans.
“We have told Israel that we cannot, and will not support, a major military operation in Rafah in the absence of a credible plan to protect civilians,” said the Democratic politician, who reiterated that he has not “seen” plans or in that sense nor in that of the reconstruction of Gaza. A
In fact, Blinken maintained that Washington has been “for many weeks developing credible plans for the security, governance and reconstruction” of Gaza with “Arab countries” and other nations, but there has been no effort in the same direction on the part of Israel.
Journalist Margaret Brennan insisted on whether it was possible for these bombs to be sent, and Blinken reiterated that the US is negotiating with Israel but has “real concerns” about their use.
Blinken justified the supply of weapons to Israel by saying that it faces an “extraordinarily complex military environment” because the Islamist group Hamas withdrew to Gaza after the October 7 attacks and is hiding under civilian infrastructure, and warned that its troops “are returning.” to “clean” areas.
BY: The Times Union
