US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday condemned the rising number of Palestinians killed in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, a US-designated terrorist organization, in the Gaza Strip, saying “it is necessary to do more to protect civilians.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi at the end of a nine-day tour of the Middle East and Asia, he said that “too many Palestinians have been killed, too many have suffered in recent weeks.”
“We want to do everything possible to prevent them from harm,” he said, adding that Washington would discuss further measures with Israel to achieve these goals.
Blinken welcomed Israel’s four-hour humanitarian pause, which the White House announced Thursday, but said more must be done to protect civilians.
Blinken said the United States has concrete plans to deliver humanitarian aid and provide additional protection to civilians, but achieving those goals will take time.
“It is a process and it does not always happen as a change, but we are seeing progress. We just need more,” she said.
During an unprovoked attack by Hamas militants (recognized as a terrorist group in the United States) in Israel’s border areas on October 7, 1,200 Israelis were killed, more than 5,400 were injured, and 240 were taken hostage. Israel responded to the Hamas attack with aerial bombardments of the northern Gaza Strip and a ground invasion of Gaza by the Israeli army.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which reports to Hamas, said 10,812 residents had died in Gaza as of Thursday.
