Secretary of State Antony Blinken will likely discuss the Rafa issue with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and “I’m sure we’ll find other ways to express our concerns,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. ).
“We think a full-blown invasion of this nature would be a mistake, not just because of the civilian casualties, which would be enormous,” Miller said.
He added that currently regarding 1.4 million people live in Rafa. people, and Israel has not provided a coherent evacuation plan.
Moreover, according to M. Miller, “such an invasion would weaken Israel’s security and make Israel less secure, not safer. It would damage his position in the world.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to send a delegation to Washington to discuss US concerns regarding Rafa.
But his office canceled a delegation trip to Washington on Monday following the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The US abstained in that vote.
Netanyahu’s office said the US abstention was undermining Israel’s fight once morest Hamas and efforts to release hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.
“This gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to agree to a cease-fire without the release of our abductees,” Netanyahu said.
The White House, for its part, indicated that the US abstention from voting on the UN Security Council resolution does not mean that Washington is changing its policy.
It does not represent “a change in our policy,” Mr. Kirby told reporters, adding that the United States supported the ceasefire but abstained because the resolution did not condemn the Palestinian group Hamas.
The United States has also said that a cease-fire can only be implemented if Hamas begins to release the hostages still being held.
“The ceasefire can begin as soon as the first hostage is released,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (Linda Tomas Greenfield).
“This is the only way to ensure a ceasefire,” she said.
The war began with an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, which killed an estimated 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official figures.
Hamas also took regarding 250 hostages, of which Israel knows regarding 130 are still in the Gaza Strip, including 33 dead hostages.
After vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive that killed at least 32,226 people, mostly women and children, in the besieged enclave, according to the Hamas-ruled territory’s Health Ministry.
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2024-03-30 15:37:28
