Blinken: Israel to focus on operations targeting Hamas leaders

2023-12-20 21:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Blinken: Israel to focus on operations targeting Hamas leaders

Secretary of State, Antony Blinken

The United States expects Israel to reduce the intensity of its military operations in Gaza, focusing more on operations targeting Hamas leaders and its infrastructure, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the year, Mr. Blinken said that once this change occurs, the damage to the civilian population should be significantly reduced. He reiterated the call for Israel to heed its obligations to minimize civilian casualties as it continues to pursue the objective of destroying Hamas.

"It is clear that the conflict must move to a phase of lower intensity," Mr. Blinken told reporters. "We expect to see and we want to see a shift to more focused operations, with a smaller number of forces, that are really focused on the leaders of Hamas, on its network of tunnels and some other critical aspects," he said. he.

"As such a thing happens, I think you will see a significant reduction in the damage caused to civilians."

Israel has faced growing pressure from its Western allies to curb its military offensive in Gaza, which has devastated much of the densely populated region. The operations were launched in response to a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, during which the militant group killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages.

Washington, Israel's closest ally, has publicly demanded over the past week that the country reduce the intensity of the all-out operation in a campaign targeting Hamas leaders and end those that US President Joe Biden, called them "indiscriminate bombings".

"We continue to believe that Israel does not need to choose between eliminating the threat posed by Hamas and minimizing the number of civilians in Gaza," Mr. Blinken said. "He has an obligation to do both and a strategic interest in doing both."

But he added that he was also surprised by what he described as a lack of demands from other countries for Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender, and he called for pressure on the group to take these steps and end it. the war.

"We hear many countries calling for an end to the conflict, which we all want, but I hear virtually no one asking Hamas to stop hiding behind the civilian population, to lay down its arms, and to surrender. ", he said.

"The war would end tomorrow if Hamas does such a thing," said Mr. Blinken./ VOA