The United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the U.S. yet to see Israel’s plan to invade Rafah, which prioritizes the protection of civilians in that city in the south of the Gaza Strip.
“We have made it clear that we cannot support a major military operation in Rafah without a plan to ensure that civilians will not be harmed. We have yet to see a plan that gives us confidence that civilians can be effectively protected,” Blinken said during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Israel has been carrying out brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7th last year, in which at least 34,488 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed so far.
The Israeli authorities announce that they will also attack Rafah, a city in the south of the Gaza Strip where more than a million displaced people have taken refuge.
The head of the U.S. State Department also commented on the protests held at American universities against Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip at a panel in Riyadh.
“This reflects the feelings that our citizens have about the suffering that innocent people are going through in Gaza and I understand that,” he said.
Blinken pointed to an Israeli proposal aimed at implementing an agreement on the exchange of hostages and a ceasefire.
“Hamas has before them a proposal that is extraordinary, extremely generous from Israel. They have to decide, and they have to decide quickly. I hope they will make the right decision,” said Blinken.
He also criticized Iran, saying it was the “biggest source of instability” in the Middle East.
