On April 30, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, and was welcomed by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Mike Herzog.
Evelyn Hochstein | Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had harsh words for Israel, criticizing its actions in the Gaza Strip and saying it lacked plans to protect civilian lives ahead of an expected attack on the city of Rafah, where more than 1.2 million displaced Palestinians are taking refuge. .
“We believe in two things,” Blinken said in an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday.
“First, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, but we haven’t seen that yet. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after the conflict in Gaza is over, but we Haven’t seen that one yet.
The comments came against the backdrop of growing tensions between Israel and its top ally, with the Biden administration last week confirming it would suspend the delivery of 3,500 heavy bombs to the Jewish state. It’s the first such move by President Joe Biden, who has long been a staunch supporter of Israel. He confirmed that U.S. support remained “ironclad.”
Government officials said the move stemmed from concerns about the use of the weapons, 1,000-pound and 2,000-pound bombs, in densely populated areas like Rafah. Military strikes and hunger.
On May 10, 2024, Palestinians living in different areas of Rafah moved to the city of Deir al-Balah in Gaza, filled with tents filled with items they could take with them, amid intense Israeli attacks.
Ashraf Amra | Anadolu | Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ground attack in Rafah was the only way to defeat the Palestinian militant group Hamas. About 1,200 people were killed and about 250 hostages were taken.
Some 130 hostages remain in Gaza About a quarter are thought to be dead. Their release is a key part of a potential ceasefire deal that has been negotiated for months by Israeli and Hamas officials and mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Israel’s war with Hamas has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities in the besieged enclave.
“Hamas is back”
The Biden administration has made clear its opposition to Rafah’s offensive, and Blinken laid out his position on Sunday.
“What are we seeing now? We’re seeing that Israel has cleared parts of Gaza of Hamas and Hamas is making a comeback, including in the north, including in Khan Younis,” Blinken said.
“As we’ve seen, Rafah (Israel) may step in and achieve some initial success, but it may come at an extremely high cost to civilians that is not long-lasting, is not sustainable, and they will You can only carry a heavy burden.
On May 7, 2024, thick smoke rose after an Israeli airstrike in eastern Gazarafa.
Abed Rahim Khatib | Abed Rahim Khatib Anadolu | Getty Images
He warned that the armed group’s insurgency will only worsen without a credible “after-the-fact” plan for Gaza, which the Israeli government has yet to propose, and that withdrawing from Gaza is “what we think they (Israeli forces) need to do.”
The State Department chief said in a separate interview: “There is a risk that Israel will inherit the insurgency because Hamas has many fighters left, or, if it leaves, there will be a vacuum of chaos, anarchy, and “We have been discussing with them a better way to get lasting results, lasting security. “
The United States continues to send weapons to Israel
Israel’s right-wing leadership has not taken the government’s criticism well. Israeli diplomats described anger and frustration, while some Israeli lawmakers attacked Biden over the suspension of weapons shipments, accusing him of being a Hamas supporter. The United States is Israel’s largest supporter and source of military funding, providing hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel since its founding.
Despite announcing the suspension of shipments of 3,500 heavy-load bombs, the administration noted that other weapons, including precision munitions and weapons from the $26.4 billion in military aid to Israel recently approved by Congress, will continue to be supplied as planned.
“We have been working for weeks on key plans for security, governance and reconstruction. We have not seen a plan from Israel,” Blinken told CBS.
“We have been cooperating with Arab countries and other countries on this plan. We also need to see this – we have the same goals as Israel,” he said.
“We want to make sure that Hamas cannot rule Gaza again… We have different ways and we think there is a more effective and more durable way to achieve this and we will continue to have dialogue with Israel on this issue.”
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