US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel must take ‘all possible precautions’ to avoid civilian deaths as massive ground invasion of Gaza looms
- Blinken in Qatar after meeting Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel
- He says Hamas attack on Israel was ‘unconscionable’
- Work intensively to secure release of hostages held by Hamas
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday urged Israel to avoid civilian deaths as it prepares to invade Gaza.
“We urged the Israelis to use all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians,” Blinken said at a press conference in Qatar.
Qatar seeks to open a humanitarian corridor for aid to reach Gaza.
Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, appealed to the United States to save civilians from the consequences of the crisis.
Israel warned more than one million people in Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours to reduce civilian casualties.
The ground invasion is a response to the murderous attack carried out last weekend by the Gaza-based, Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas, which killed hundreds of men, women and children in Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during their meeting in Lusail on October 13, 2023
.S. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken arrives in Qatar
Blinken said he discussed with the Qatari prime minister the importance of preventing any state or terrorist group from expanding the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
He also said the United States was working intensively to secure the release of hostages, including Americans, taken to Gaza by Hamas.
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