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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says his talks with Israeli leaders on Friday will include “concrete steps that can and should be taken minimize harm” to civilians in Gaza.
“When I see a Palestinian child … pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child in Israel or anywhere else,” Blinken said.
“This is something that we have an obligation to respond to, and we will.”
It is Blinken’s second trip to the Middle East since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7.
Israel has responded with a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which international aid organizations say is unleashing a humanitarian crisis.
The US has promised its full support to Israel, while at the same time calling for humanitarian “pauses” to let through aid and allow evacuations.
“What we’re trying to do is explore the idea of as many pauses as might be necessary to continue to get aid out and to continue to work to get people out safely, including hostages,” national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
The calls for pauses, however, differ from that of an overall cease-fire, which the US continues to oppose, saying it would only allow Hamas time to strengthen and regroup.
On Saturday, Blinken is expected to meet with officials in Jordan. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will “stress” to Blinken the “need to move immediately to stop the Israeli war on Gaza.”
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