US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on his third visit to Tel Aviv on Friday since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas, said at the end of a meeting with Israeli officials that Israel must defend itself, but “how it matters” he said, saying , that more needs to be done to protect Palestinian civilians, Reuters and CNN reported.

Anthony Blinken recognized Israel’s right to defend itself after the October 7 attack by Hamas, but called on Israeli authorities to take measures to protect civilians in Gaza as Israeli forces continue to bomb the Palestinian enclave and the death toll among residents has risen sharply, according to CNN.

Blinken: “It is important how Israel defends itself”

• “We strongly support the idea that Israel has not only the right, but also the duty to defend itself and to do everything possible so that this October 7 never happens again.
• What matters is how Israel does it. And it is very important that, when it comes to protecting civilians caught in the crossfire of Hamas’ actions, that everything possible is done to protect them and to provide assistance to those who desperately need it and are in no way responsible for what happened on October 7.
• So, we are working together on all of this,” the head of US diplomacy said in press statements made together with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The Israeli president thanked Blinken for his “moral clarity” and defended himself by saying that Israel respects international humanitarian law. He showed Blinken a pamphlet he said had been sent to Gaza in 1.2 million copies warning people to leave the areas targeted.

• “We sent six million text messages and four million phone calls to the citizens of Gaza, according to the norms of international law, we warned the citizens in advance, including before the attack in Jabalia,” the Israeli president said.

And at a press conference at the end of the statements, Blinken insisted that “more needs to be done to protect Palestinian civilians,” stressing that they “should not bear the consequences of Hamas’ brutality”: “It was clear to me that, as Israel conducts a campaign to defeat Hamas, how it is done matters.”

What the US Secretary of State says about the humanitarian breaks that Israel is demanding

A diplomatic source familiar with the talks told CNN on Friday that in talks with Israeli officials, Blinken would insist that Israel suspend airstrikes on Gaza.

Responding to questions at a news conference, Blinken said efforts to send humanitarian aid and release hostages would be “facilitated by humanitarian pauses.”

“This was an important point of today’s discussion with Israeli leaders – how, when and where it can be implemented, what should happen and what agreements should be reached. A number of legitimate issues have been raised in our discussions today, including how to use any pause period to maximize humanitarian aid, how to link the pause to the release of hostages, how to ensure that Hamas does not use these pauses or arrangements for its own benefit. Blinken said.

During a meeting with Blinken, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant allegedly warned that Israel would not agree to a pause in hostilities unless it included the release of the hostages, reports CNN citing sources.

As Blinken made his remarks, protesters could be heard faintly in the background demanding that the government take action to free the hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli president responded by saying, “Our hearts go out to them. We understand them. We want their immediate release. We are determined to do everything we can to bring them back safely to be with their families and loved ones.”