U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel on Friday to ensure more humanitarian aid and do more to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, or else there will be “no partners for peace.” Meanwhile, Israel warned that it was on high alert for attacks on its northern border with Lebanon as fears grew that the conflict could widen.
Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City, the focus of their campaign to crush the enclave’s ruling Hamas militants, who launched a brutal attack on Israeli communities that started the war.
Since the assault on October 7th, there have been mounting concerns that the conflict could spread to other areas. Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah have engaged in multiple exchanges of fire along the Lebanon border.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made his first public speech since the war’s outset, asserting that his group had become involved in the recent cross-border fighting, hinting at the potential for further escalation. However, Nasrallah did not formally declare Hezbollah’s full engagement in the conflict.
During his third visit to Israel since the war commenced, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel, emphasizing its right to self-defense. He also called for a “humanitarian pause” to facilitate the delivery of aid to Palestinian civilians, as concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continued to grow.
Blinken stated, “We believe that each of these efforts would be facilitated by humanitarian pauses, by arrangements on the ground that increase security for civilians and permit the more effective and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance.” Antony Blinken urged
Furthermore, Blinken reiterated Washington’s consistent support for the eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, emphasizing the need for “two states for two peoples” as the sole path to ensuring enduring security for a Jewish and democratic Israel.