The head of American diplomacy arrived in Tel Aviv to try to obtain a de-escalation and more protection of civilians. At the same time, the Israeli army is intensifying its operations in the south of the Gaza Strip.
A fifth official visit in four months of conflict to try to put pressure on its Israeli ally. In Tel Aviv, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken reaffirmed the support of the United States for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, while insisting on “the importance of avoiding further harm to civilians and protecting” civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Civilians, especially children, pay a price “way too high”judged Blinken.
But Israel does not seem to hear the voice of its ally. During an interview with the American, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed his intention to intensify army operations in Khan Younes, in the Gaza Strip. Faced with the American secretary, the minister also considered that it was necessary “increase pressure on Iran” to avoid “climbing” regional war.
Antony Blinken also urges Israel to “stop taking actions that undermine the ability of Palestinians to govern themselves”. “Israel must be a partner of Palestinian leaders wishing to lead their people to live in peace (at its) side, as neighbors”insists the American official, after talks with the Israeli Prime Minister.
Israel accepts the principle of a UN mission on the situation in northern Gaza, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken added on Tuesday.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution last month calling for more aid to be provided to Gaza, according to the WHO things have only gotten worse. “We see this humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes. We see the health system collapsing very quickly”, said Sean Casey, a World Health Organization emergency team coordinator, via video conference from Gaza. The Israeli army announced a new phase of its intervention in Gaza with fewer troops and targeted operations. But according to Sean Casey, “we have seen the humanitarian space shrink”.
The Hamas Health Ministry announced Tuesday that 23,210 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war between the Palestinian Islamist movement and Israel. In the last 24 hours, 126 people have been killed, according to this new report, which also shows 59,167 people injured since October 7. The majority of people who died or were killed are women, adolescents and children.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, where the war between Israel and Hamas will be one of the major topics, organizers announce. Antony Blinken will be accompanied in particular by White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Qatari counterparts Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani and Jordanian Bisher al-Khasawneh are also expected.“The war in Gaza continues and there are fears of escalation,” according to Borge Brende, president of the Forum.“We will bring together key figures to see how to avoid further deterioration of the situation and look to the future”.
