United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken made striking statements about the conflict in Gaza. Blinken stated that the number of civilians killed in Israel’s attacks in Gaza is higher than the number of Hamas militants killed.
In an interview with CBS News, Blinken confirmed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s assessment that 14,000 terrorists and 16,000 civilians were killed in Israel’s targeting of Hamas militants. However, Blinken made clear that he shared the US assessment that more civilians were killed in these strikes than actual terrorists.
Secretary of State Blinken said that Israel has failed to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law and that civilian casualties have been the subject of numerous investigations. However, the US has not made a clear statement on whether Israel violated US law and arms agreements.
Blinken said that while the costs of a large-scale occupation are high and unlikely to end the Hamas threat, Israel is well on its way to managing a possible uprising.
He also confirmed that the US continues to pressure Israel to protect civilians and end the conflict in the region, and that President Biden’s arms embargo on Israel is limited to certain limits.
According to the US report, the Israeli military has failed to reduce civilian casualties, raising serious questions about whether the IDF is using the measures effectively. The report also included allegations that Israel provided Gazans with advance information about the attacks.
US Secretary of State Blinken: “Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas fighters”
