U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States would not rule out withholding additional military support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas if it launched a major attack on Rafah.
“If Israel launches this major military operation against Rafah, then we will not be supporting and supplying certain systems to that operation,” Mr. Blinken told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He did not elaborate.
Last week, the White House impose delay The Syrian government decided to send 3,500 bombs to Rafah out of concern for potential harm to civilians in Rafah, where many Gazans have sought refuge since fighting began seven months ago. Blinken said these are the only weapons the U.S. is impounding “right now.”
Two days after the State Council issued report to congress Blinken raised “substantial questions” about Israel’s efforts to protect civilians in Gaza, and he offered cautious criticism of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack.
The report raised the possibility that Israel may have violated international law but avoided drawing conclusions about any specific incidents. Blinken reiterated this on Sunday, telling “Face the Nation” that Israel has institutions in place to investigate, assess and “self-correct.”
Blinken responded to the report’s findings on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” highlighting Hamas’s responsibility for provoking the conflict and the challenges its tactics to protect civilians face on the battlefield.
“Based on the overall harm Hamas has inflicted on children, women and men in this crossfire, it is reasonable to conclude that Israel has acted in certain circumstances in a manner inconsistent with international humanitarian law,” he said.
He added that Israeli forces were operating in a “complex military environment” where “the enemy deliberately mixes itself with civilians hiding under and inside schools, mosques, and apartment buildings.”
