US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a press briefing in Tel Aviv this evening (Tuesday) following his meetings with Israeli leaders. "We know that for the people affected by the attacks and by the conflict that's followed, time moves differently," Blinken said at the beginning of his remarks. "Immediately before this, I met with the families of hostages who are being held in Gaza and with hostages who have been released. Several of those families I have now met multiple times. For them, every day, every hour, every minute that they're separated from their loved ones is an eternity." "Time feels different for families in Gaza as well, hundreds of thousands of whom are experiencing acute food insecurity," he said. "Time also feels different for Israelis and Palestinians whose innocent loved ones have been killed. For them, time often falls into before and after. The after, filled with a loss that most of us will never know and cannot fully imagine." He continued: "This immense human toll is one of the many reasons that we continue to stand with Israel in ensuring that October 7 can never happen again. It's also why we're intensely focused on bringing the remaining hostages home, addressing the humanitarian crisis, and strengthening protection for civilians in Gaza, and preventing the conflict from spreading. And it's the reason we're working urgently to forge a path towards lasting peace and security in this region." Addressing the South African government's attempt to charge Israel with genocide in the Hague, he said: "We believe the submission against Israel to the International Court of Justice distracts the world from all of these important efforts. Moreover, the charge of genocide is meritless. It's particularly galling given that those who are attacking Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their support Iran, continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews." Related articles: Blinken tried to impose sanctions on Israeli intelligence unit Trump revokes clearances for Blinken, other Biden officials Anti-Israel hecklers disrupt Blinken's final press briefing 'Not surprising there's a loose end with ceasefire deal' He stated that "we know that facing an enemy that embeds itself among civilians, who hides in and fires from schools, from hospitals, makes this incredibly challenging." However, he said that "the daily toll on civilians in Gaza, particularly on children, is far too high." The Secretary of State defended the UN, which has been accused of anti-Israel bias and supporting Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. "The United Nations is playing an indispensable role in addressing the immense humanitarian needs in Gaza. There is simply no alternative. UN personnel and other aid workers in Gaza are demonstrating extraordinary courage by continuing to provide life-saving services in what are extremely challenging conditions." Blinken said that in his meetings with Israeli leaders, they agreed to a role for the UN in Gaza. "We agreed on a plan for the UN to carry out an assessment mission: It will determine what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return safely to homes in the north." "In today's meetings I was crystal clear: Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They must not be pressed to leave Gaza. As I told the Prime Minister, the United States unequivocally rejects any proposals advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. And the Prime Minister reaffirmed to me today that this is not the policy of Israel's government," he said.
