JERUSALEM (AP) The Latest on confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians as Israel signals a widening military campaign:
WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza.
Blinken spoke on Wednesday with the Israeli leader. The State Department said he also repeated U.S. calls for a de-escalation of violence and the Biden administration’s belief that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in safety and security.
Blinken announced earlier he was sending a senior diplomat to the region to make similar appeals in person to Israeli and Palestinian officials. He also said that Israel had an “extra burden” to avoid civilian casualties as it responds to the attacks.
WASHINGTON â U.S. President Joe Biden says that âIsrael has a right to defend itselfâ amid a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian groups from Gaza.
Biden says he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the dayslong outbreak of violence that has killed dozens.
Says Biden: âMy expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later.â He adds, âIsrael has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.â
Israel escalated its air campaign in Gaza on Wednesday, killing a string of senior Hamas military figures as it hammered the Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Militants in the territory fired rocket barrages into Israel.
JERUSALEM (AP) â The Latest on confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians as Israel signals a widening military campaign:
WASHINGTON â U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel bears an âextra burdenâ to avoid civilian casualties as it responds to rocket attacks from Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken says Israel has an âabsoluteâ right to defend itself and its citizens from militant attacks but that it must take all possible steps to protect innocent Palestinians.
He said on Wednesday that Israel should âdo everything it possibly can to avoid civilian casualties even as it is rightfully responding in defense of its people.â
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is condemning the “anarchy” of Jewish-Arab violence in cities across the country after a day of tumultuous unrest