Blinken: "US Not Involved in Haniya's Killing"

"Not Aware of or Involved in Assassination"

The United States has stated that it was not involved in the assassination of Ismail Haniya, the top political leader of the Palestinian armed faction Hamas.

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

On the 31st (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in an interview with Singapore's CNA network regarding Haniya's assassination, "The United States was neither aware of nor involved in the assassination." When asked whether this incident would change the dynamics of the Middle East war, he said, "It is very difficult to predict," emphasizing the need for a ceasefire.

He also stated, "We will continue efforts to end the war," adding, "It is very important to help end the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and to secure the release of hostages, including Americans," responding in a general manner.

Secretary Blinken is currently on an Asia tour. He arrived in Singapore the day before.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is visiting the Philippines, also responded to questions about Haniya's assassination at a press conference that day, saying, "War is not inevitable. There is always room and opportunity for diplomacy."

He added, "We do not want such an escalation (of the Middle East war) to occur," and "We are working through diplomatic meetings to calm the situation and help address the issue."

When asked whether Israel was involved in the assassination and whether the U.S. had prior knowledge, he replied that they had seen the news of Haniya's assassination but had no additional information.

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