Hamas is preventing Americans and other foreigners from leaving the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday.
“The ball is in Hamas’s court in terms of allowing people who want to go — civilians from third countries including America,” Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
When pressed on whether Hamas was preventing Americans from leaving Gaza, the top US diplomat replied, “Right.
“We have US personnel across the border in Egypt, consular personnel,” he said, declining to say directly whether any US personnel were currently in Gaza.
Blinken declined to say whether Hamas had taken American hostages or if other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had some of them.
President Biden spoke by phone on Saturday with freed Americans Judith Raanan, 59, and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, who were recently released from detention in Gaza.
Israel is expected to launch a ground attack on Gaza soon.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly supports Israel and its right to defend itself against Hamas.CBS News An Israeli soldier patrols the road between Sderot and the Gaza strip.HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has called for a temporary ceasefire to allow time for humanitarian aid to enter the stricken Gaza area.
Blinken stopped short of calling for it publicly but suggested Israel has a history of giving up on its military bombings to make room for humanitarian aid.
“We have looked first to get help, we have done it,” he said. “We want to make sure that we have maintained the delivery of food, medicine, water and things that people need.
“At the same time … we have to remember that Israel needs to do everything it can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said of the brutal Hamas attack earlier this month. “Freezing things where they are now will allow Hamas to stay where it is and repeat what it did.”
A Palestinian man describes some of the damage caused by the Israeli attack. Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health claims that at least 1,524 Palestinian children have been killed in the conflict so far. US officials have questioned the reliability of Hamas casualty estimates.
“When I see pictures of little children who have lost their lives in this conflict created by Hamas — whoever they are, wherever they are, whether they’re Palestinians, whether they’re Israelis, whether they’re Jews or Muslims , it touched me … right in the heart,” Blinken said.
Moderator Margaret Brennan also pressed Blinken about a CBS interview conducted with Palestinian activist Mustafa Barghouti who hoped President Biden would say, “Enough is enough” regarding Israeli retaliation.
” ‘Enough’ should have happened with Hamas two weeks ago. It would be good to hear the whole world speak clearly and with one voice about the actions of Hamas,” said Blinken.
Former US hostage Natalie Shoshana Raanan (in gray jacket) and her mother Judith Tai Raanan were released by Hamas at an undisclosed location. Government of Israel/AFP via Getty Images
Blinken juxtaposed Hamas’s vision of “death, destruction, nihilism, darkness” with the US-backed vision of asking Israelis and Palestinians to “work together, go to school together, do business together. [and] go to their respective countries.”
Hamas launched its surprise attack on October 7 against Israel, which declared war in response.
More than 1,400 Israelis have died in the war so far, and at least 31 Americans have been killed, with about a dozen unaccounted for, including several held hostage.
President Biden has pushed for an additional aid package to help Israel.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
