Blinken departs on 3rd visit to Israel since Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, highlighting need to minimize civilian harm

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled Thursday to Israel for a third visit since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

He will focus on Israel's right to defend itself as well as steps to protect civilians

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in the state of Maryland before his departure, Blinken said he would talk to the Israeli government about the ongoing campaign against Hamas, noting that Israel has "not only the right but the obligation to defend itself and also to take steps to try to make sure that this never happens again.".

Blinken said he will also focus on "steps that need to be taken to protect civilians who are in a crossfire of Hamas’ making, and we want to look at concrete steps that can be taken to better protect them."

"We’ve seen in recent days Palestinian civilians continuing to bear the brunt of this action, and it’s important and the United States is committed to making sure everything possible is done to protect civilians," he said.

"When I see a Palestinian child - a boy, a girl -- pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child from Israel or anywhere else. So, this is something that we have an obligation to respond to, and we will," said Blinken.

The top US diplomat said he will also work on preventing the conflict from spreading.

Efforts to get humanitarian assistance in and to get US citizens and nationals out of Gaza will also be on the agenda for Blinken.

Blinken will later head to Jordan where he will "underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and our shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the resumption of essential services, and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza", according to spokesman Matthew Miller.

On other possible stops that Blinken might make during his trip, Miller said they will make "further announcements as they're available in the coming days."

Blinken will also visit Tokyo, Seoul and New Delhi to "advance collaborative efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is prosperous, secure, connected, and resilient," according to Miller.