Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued the rebuke in a Dec. 7 press conference. He expressed Washington's commitment to prioritizing the protection of civilians in the besieged enclave. According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, over 16,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.
The U.S. official also stressed the need to sustain the assistance provided during the humanitarian pause between Hamas and Israel. He acknowledged some positive steps, but pointed out a gap between their intention to protect civilians and the actual results on the ground. Discussing Israel's combat operations, Blinken emphasized the importance of ensuring that areas outside the conflict zone remain free from military actions – mentioning ongoing discussions with Israeli authorities on this matter.
Blinken isn't alone in this sentiments, however. Even Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have recently expressed concern about the number of innocent Palestinians killed. Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Dec. 3, Austin told attendees he had urged Israeli leaders to minimize civilian casualties.
"I have personally pushed Israeli leaders to avoid civilian casualties, to shun irresponsible rhetoric and to prevent violence by settlers in the West Bank," said the defense secretary.
Given the statements of the high-ranking U.S. officials, it remains unclear if the Biden administration still intends to take additional action beyond issuing empty words. The U.S. continues to provide unconditional military aid to Israel.
Rescuing hostages not a top priority for the IDF
Meanwhile, Israel has justified its military operations against the Palestinian group Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement. In earlier interviews, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin has demanded that Hamas release all 240 hostages it abducted on Oct. 7. (Related: Netanyahu: Israel to take over “security” in Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war.)
But according to Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, rescuing hostages abducted by Hamas is not a top priority for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Instead, the main focus is destroying Hamas – even if it takes the IDF a year to do so. In line with this, even the prevention of civilian casualties is subordinate to the bigger goal of liquidating Hamas.
Barkat, who formerly served as the mayor of Jerusalem from 2008 until 2018, added that the tunnels used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip would become the "world's biggest cemetery."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed Barkat's call for genocide, saying: "There is no forgiveness for this thing. Only [the] total annihilation of [the] Hamas organization – terror infrastructures, everything that has to do with terrorists and whoever sent them."
The Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks have caused significant damage in Gaza, resulting in over 3,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly civilians, and more than 12,000 people injured in October. Their ground offensive – including troops, tanks, drones and aircraft entering and expanding in Gaza –continues to contribute to the increasing death tolls of civilians.
Follow IsraelCollapse.com for more news about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Watch this October 2023 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as the Health Ranger Mike Adams discusses the devastating consequences to the global economy of Israel’s war on Gaza.
This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.
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MORE WAR: US Diplomats warned by State Dept. to avoid calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas conflict.
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