Antony Blinken: Israel is not expected to launch a ground operation in Rafah by next week

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the Israeli government has not informed Washington of any historical plans for a ground military operation in Rafah, but he does not expect such an action to take place by next week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on Monday that the Israeli army's attack on Rafah is 'certain' and the date has been set, but he did not provide further details on when the attack would begin. Antony Blinken, speaking at a joint press conference in Washington with his British counterpart David Cameron on Tuesday, April 21, added that he will be traveling to Israel next week. The two senior diplomats emphasized that their current priority is to create conditions for delivering humanitarian aid to needy Palestinians. The U.S. government insists that this aid must continue until the situation in the Gaza Strip is resolved. However, Blinken added that, in the Biden administration's view, Hamas has no place in the future of the Palestinians. While many believe that the Biden administration should stop sending weapons to Israel, David Cameron stated that his country would not do so. The ability of Ukraine to defend itself against ongoing Russian attacks was also another topic of discussion between the two diplomats. The British Foreign Secretary believes that meeting Ukraine's military needs is a key factor in its victory over Russia. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, NATO member countries are concerned about the supply of weapons to Russia by China, Iran, and North Korea. Meeting these needs and using Russia's blocked financial resources abroad for Ukraine are issues that will be finalized at the NATO summit. Lloyd Austin: The U.S. has no evidence of genocide by Israel in Gaza. The Israeli Navy's air defense has 'for the first time' shot down a drone. Israel is prepared to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in the event of a retaliatory strike from Tehran. Hamas states that Israel's recent proposal does not meet their demands.