U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that there is still “room for an agreement” between Israel and Hamas following contentious remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Blinken remarked, “There are clearly things that are not acceptable in Hamas’s response. We believe that opens a space for reaching an agreement, and we are working tirelessly to reach it.”
At the same time, Blinken cautioned Netanyahu and his government against actions that exacerbate tensions. He expressed, “In my conversations today with the Prime Minister and senior officials, our deep concerns about actions and statements, including by government officials, that exacerbate tensions, undercut international support, and impose greater restrictions on Israel’s security, also played a role.”
Stark Rebuke
In a sharp rebuke for Israel’s conduct in Gaza, Blinken warned Tel Aviv that it does not have “a license to disregard the humanity of others.”
He stated during a press conference in Tel Aviv, “The Israelis were deprived of their humanity in the worst possible way on October 7th. Hostages have been deprived of their humanity every day since then. But this cannot be a license to strip others of their humanity.”
The White House has not hidden its displeasure with Israel due to civilian casualties in Gaza and the humanitarian situation there throughout the war, but the criticism on Wednesday was the harshest yet.
The Israeli Prime Minister had said that complete victory in Gaza was within reach, emphasizing that his government had not committed to any promises regarding the ceasefire proposed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), noting that negotiations are still ongoing.
Netanyahu reiterated during a press conference held yesterday his commitment to continuing the war until the eradication of Hamas, stating that achieving Israeli objectives in this war is a matter of months, and that there is no turning back from triumph.
Earlier yesterday, the U.S. Secretary of State called for “a commitment to do everything we can to get essential aid to those in urgent need and the steps being taken and the additional steps needed are the focus of my meetings here” following his meeting with Netanyahu and prominent Israeli officials in Tel Aviv.
Blinken added, “I visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, and I believe that there is a tremendously positive future in which Israel is integrated into the region, addresses its security concerns, and fulfills the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
He expressed hopes for reaching an agreement for the release of prisoners held by the Hamas movement and other Palestinian factions, but Israeli media reported that Netanyahu informed him that Israel will not end the war on Gaza before eliminating Hamas.
