US Urges Israel to Restrain Escalation... "Calls to Prevent Civilian Killings"

As the Israeli ground forces prepare to be deployed in retaliation to the attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, visiting Israel, has called for restraint in civilian casualties.

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 12th (local time), Secretary Blinken, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, stated, "Israel has the right and duty to defend itself," but emphasized, "It is very important to take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians."

He urged restraint in escalation, saying, "Over the past weekend, more than 1,000 people, including 27 Americans, were killed in Hamas's surprise attack." As the war that began after Hamas's airstrikes on Israel enters its sixth day, casualties on both sides have exceeded 10,000.

Secretary Blinken also expressed support for Israel. He said, "The message I brought to Israel is that we will always stand by Israel," adding, "Israel may be strong enough to defend itself, but as long as the United States exists, it will not have to defend itself alone."

In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "Hamas is like ISIS (Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group)," and vowed that just as ISIS was dismantled by the United States, Israel will also defeat Hamas.

Following Israel, Secretary Blinken plans to visit Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt to meet with leaders of each country. This is analyzed as a strategic move to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the Middle East and to isolate Hamas and Iran, which is identified as its backer, in the region. The international community is concerned that the situation could escalate into a new Middle East war as Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, has joined the attacks on Israel following Hamas.

The United States is also considering the possibility that Iran might exploit regional instability to attack U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East. In response, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the deployment of aircraft carriers and fighter units near Israel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.