(EFE).- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted this Saturday in Jordan that Israel “has the right to self-defense” and the “duty” to do so to ensure that the attack by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, on October 7, “do not repeat yourself.” Furthermore, he called for measures to avoid civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken, in a press conference in Jordan with the foreign ministers of that country and Egypt, stated on the other hand that the United States is making efforts, in cooperation with its partners in the region, to increase the amounts of aid that reaches civilians. in Gaza through the Egyptian Rafah crossing, the only exit from the Palestinian enclave not controlled by Israel.
“Israel has the right and duty to defend itself and take the necessary measures so that what happened on October 7 is not repeated,” Blinken said, although he stressed the need for Israel to “take necessary measures” to avoid civilian losses, and ” ensure that those who need help will receive it.
“Israel has the right and duty to defend itself and take the necessary measures so that what happened on October 7 is not repeated”
The US official accused the Hamas group, whose multiple and deadly attack on October 7 in Israel caused the current conflict, of using “human shields” and using civilian facilities as centers of military operations.
“Hamas (…) uses civilians as shields, and its leaders, weapons and operations centers are in residential buildings, under schools and in schools, under hospitals and inside hospitals, under mosques and inside mosques. “It’s atrocious,” he said.
“But Israel has a duty to respect the laws of war and humanity, and do what ensures that civilians are not harmed and ensure that aid reaches women and children,” Blinken added in Jordan, where he met with the foreign ministers of that country, as well as of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Regarding the need to increase humanitarian aid, Blinken said that he addressed this issue both during his visit on Friday in Israel, and in a meeting today in Amman with UNRWA officials, as well as with Egypt, and stated that today more than 100 trucks with aid crossed the Egyptian land crossing from Rafah to Gaza.
On the other hand, he highlighted the importance of avoiding the extension of the Gaza conflict.
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